Fire Guts Lagos Hotel, Guests Evacuated Safely

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has contained a fire outbreak at Purple Crown Hotel on Balogun Street, along Awolowo Road, Ikeja, with no casualties recorded.

The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said in a statement on Saturday that the fire was reported at about 9:52am and affected a room on the first floor of the hotel.

He said LASEMA’s Tiger Squad, alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Nigeria Police, arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of receiving the distress call.

“Upon arrival, responders discovered that a room on the first floor of the hotel had been severely affected by fire,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault in the affected room.

He said the incident caused significant fire and smoke damage to part of the building, but there was no loss of life or injury.

“All hotel guests and staff were safely evacuated from the building to the designated muster point,” he said, adding that a roll call was conducted under the supervision of emergency responders and police officers to account for all occupants.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the fire was brought under control and completely extinguished through the joint efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the police.

He said the operation was focused on preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining rooms while ensuring the safety of hotel occupants and emergency personnel.

Following the incident, access to the entire building was restricted as a precaution due to the volume of smoke and extent of the fire damage.

The affected section of the hotel was also cordoned off pending a detailed assessment of the building’s structural and electrical integrity by the relevant authorities.

“The situation is now fully under control. The fire has been extinguished and the immediate danger neutralised,” the statement said.

The LASEMA boss commended the emergency responders for their speed, professionalism and inter-agency collaboration, saying their swift intervention prevented the incident from escalating and helped protect lives and property.

He urged hotel operators, facility managers and business owners to conduct regular electrical maintenance, install and service fire suppression equipment, and train staff on emergency evacuation procedures.

He also stressed the need for compliance with the Lagos State Safety Commission’s guidelines.

Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents to remain calm during emergencies and report incidents promptly through the state’s emergency toll-free lines: 112, 767 or 08000 112 112.

The incident came days after LASEMA responded to separate fire outbreaks in Igando and Anifowoshe, Ikeja, with no fatalities recorded in either case.

The first incident occurred at about 7:37pm on Sunday at 23 Shaba Ojo Street, near Omolade Bus Stop, Igando, while the second was reported at about 11:30pm at 61 Abeokuta Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja.