By FABIAN EKERUCHE

The Lagos State Government has contained a fire outbreak at The Apostolic Church on Oremeta Street, Ojodu Berger, with no casualty recorded.

The government, through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said emergency responders prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings.

This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos by LASEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Afolabi Olawale.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

It said LASEMA activated its emergency response team immediately after distress calls were received through the state’s 767 and 112 emergency lines.

“On arrival at the scene, responders discovered that a two-storey building housing The Apostolic Church was engulfed by fire.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated from the rear section of the top floor before spreading to the front portion of the building,” the statement said.

The agency said the suspected cause of the fire was an electrical surge, as public power supply was on when the incident occurred.

It added that no life was lost and no injury was sustained, attributing the outcome to prompt emergency response and effective evacuation.

LASEMA said firefighting operations commenced immediately in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps.

The agency said firebreaks were created to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby residential and commercial buildings.

It added that parts of the church building were salvaged, while the area was secured to protect worshippers, residents and emergency personnel.

According to the statement, damping-down operations were still ongoing as of 3:20 p.m. to prevent possible re-ignition, although the fire had been brought under control.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, commended residents for promptly reporting the incident and lauded the inter-agency collaboration.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the zero-casualty outcome reflected the state government’s investment in emergency preparedness, training and equipment.

He also said the Lagos State Safety Commission would partner faith-based organisations to conduct free electrical safety audits and fire drills.

He urged residents to engage certified technicians for electrical wiring, install surge protectors and avoid overloading circuits.

The permanent secretary also advised residents to continue using the 767 and 112 emergency lines to report emergencies promptly.

He added that the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory and the Lagos State Building Control Agency would conduct structural integrity tests on the affected building after the fire was fully extinguished. (NAN)

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