Were it not for the timely arrival of fire service men from Nigeria Port Authourity [NPA], Union Bank of Nigeria, as well as fire fighters from both the Lagos state and the Federal fire service, the 10-storey corporate head office of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA] would have been razed totally, yesterday.
There was pandemonium when a late morning inferno started from the second floor of the strategic office complex which is located on Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos.
Were it not for the timely arrival of fire service men from Nigeria Port Authourity [NPA], Union Bank of Nigeria, as well as fire fighters from both the Lagos state and the Federal fire service, the 10-storey corporate head office of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA] would have been razed totally, yesterday.
There was pandemonium when a late morning inferno started from the second floor of the strategic office complex which is located on Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos.
Sadly however, even though it is the maritime industry’s safety and rescue agency, NIMASA has no fire fighting apparatus of its own to combat any fire outbreak.
The second floor from where the fire started houses the agency’s Servicom and Cabotage departments.
Eyewitness accounts said that some of the staff who first noticed thick smoke coming out from the windows of the offices on second floor raised an alarm which attracted other staff on other floors.
As the combined team of fighters battled to put it off, security agents from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Police were on hand to ensure that the building was cordoned off and secured from curious onlookers and passers by.
Although, there was no official confirmation as to the cause of the inferno, an unofficial source told Shipping Position Daily that it must have been caused by an electric kettle or a faulty air conditioner in one of the offices on the second floor.
The fire was eventually put- off at about 11:50am and the management of the agency ordered every staff to go home for the day.
And while briefing journalists later, the Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka stated that investigations into the fire have commenced. “We don’t know for sure what really happened”, she stated, even as she confirmed that there was no injury or casualty.
“We are not looking at the losses, instead the management is happy that all members of staff are alive and safe,” Tumaka said.
However, an overzealous naval officer seized the camera of the crew of a Lagos-based television station; TV Continental which came to cover the outbreak.
But, the NIMASA’s spokesperson was able to prevail on the naval officer to return the seized camera.
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