Fire guts Federal Ministry of Works building in Lagos

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

Property worth millions of Naira were, yesterday evening destroyed as fire gutted Federal Ministry of Works building at Tafawa Balewa Square, on Lagos Island.

Vanguard gathered that the fire started from the R&A section on the ground floor of the two-storey building at about 6:30p.m.

Sources said the staff had closed for the day before the fire started.

Eyewitness said that no fewer than three offices were gutted by the fire, which lasted for over an hour, before it was put out by a combined team of the Federal Fire Service and their state counterpart.

Confirming the fire incident to Vanguard, the Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, blamed the cause of the fire on power surge in an air conditioner in the office.

Fadipe said: “Immediately we received the call, fire trucks were deployed to the scene.”

He explained that the building was divided into two wings, adding that the fire affected the right wing on the ground floor.

He said: “The fire started from the R&A office and damaged property inside. The fire later spread to two other offices.

“It was the prompt effort of the fire service officials that prevented the fire from spreading to other floors in the building.”

He lamented that the fire touched the second floor, but did not damage any property.

The Information Officer, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, also said: “The fire affected part of the ground floor that housed Federal Ministry of Works and Bank of Industries (Cooperatives section).

“The fire was put off at about 7p.m. There were no casualties and no one was injured.”