‘SMOKE INHALATION, PRIMARY CAUSE OF CASUALTIES IN AFRILAND TOWERS’
The major cause of casualties in Afriland Towers in Lagos Island which claimed the lives of 10 staff members of the Federal Inland Revenue Services( FIRS) and United Capital Plc last week was smoke inhaled by the victims .
Head of Brand marketing and corporate communications of Afriland Properties Plc , owners of Afriland Towers , Mr Chukwunonso Okafor , who provided clarifications on the sad incident described it as unfortunate.
He explained that the fire which started around 1:20pm , originated in the Inverter room located in the basement of Afriland Tower.
According to him, safety protocols were activated immediately by the on -site fire Champions .
However, the thick black smoke and intense heat generated by the fire quickly filled the basement and spread rapidly throughout the building .
The ugly situation, he stated, severely compromised visibility and restricted access to designated evacuation routes .
Mr Okafor said that the challenging conditions forced some occupants of the building to resort to exit through the windows in their efforts to reach safety.
He explained that Afriland Towers has documented safety procedures, regular drills and standard fire evacuation plans but it was unfortunate that the rapid spread of thick smoke made evacuation extremely difficult.
According to him , barely 20 minutes of the activation of the fire protocol, first respondents came in , supported by well-meaning Nigerians who helped bring the situation under control.
He said that the building is well designed with two dedicated emergency stair cases providing access from all floors as well as multiple exit points on the ground floor but the smoke limited the use of those escape routes .
According to Mr Okafor , “Afriland Towers is well equipped with fire safety features including smoke extractors , fire reels and extinguishers, all in compliance with the Federal and State Fire Services That made it possible for us to be able to contain the fire within its point of origin.
