EXCLUSIVE: How four FIRS staff died in Afriland Towers inferno – Source
Ayo Ademola, in Lagos
Fresh facts have emerged that four Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) staff lost their lives in Tuesday’s fire incident that happened at Afriland Towers, Broad Street, in Lagos State.
A reliable source informed WESTERN POST that two male and two female staff members of the agency died in the fire incident, while other staff sustained minor injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Lagos.
The source stated that the FIRS office is on the 7th floor and the affected staff were not aware of the fire on time.
The source also revealed to WESTERN POST that other companies’ personnel in the tower lost their lives in the incident.
According to a report, the fire broke out on Tuesday in the building’s inverter room, located in the basement of Afriland Towers.A thick smoke quickly spread across multiple floors, prompting a chaotic evacuation of workers and visitors in the building.
The Chairman of Afriland Properties Plc, Mr Tony Elumelu, on Wednesday sympathised with the lives of its staff the incident claimed.
In a signed letter addressed to all staff, Elumelu said, “No word can capture the magnitude of this loss – not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.
“Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people, those who walk through our doors each day and share our mission.
“I learnt of this on my way to the US, en route to New York for UNGA. I have cut short my trip to return to Lagos as a mark of respect to our lost colleagues.”
