Korede Abdullah in Lagos
A fire outbreak on Thursday afternoon sparked panic among staff and patients at the Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital in Lagos when flames erupted from a nursing room on the second floor of the facility’s main three-storey building.
Eyewitnesses and a viral video captured medical workers and patients fleeing the scene as thick smoke poured out of the building.
The fire, which began around midday, prompted a rapid emergency response, with firefighters arriving swiftly to contain the situation.
By evening, the cause of the blaze had not been confirmed. However, in a statement, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye assured the public that the incident was minor and under control.
“The fire, which was reported at approximately 15:20 hours, was quickly brought under control, preventing significant damage to the busy healthcare facility,” she said.
She further noted, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has successfully doused a minor fire incident that occurred in a nursing room… No casualties were recorded.”
The fire was contained to the room where it started, and operations resumed later in the day without disruption to medical services.
“Normal operations have resumed, and medical services to the public continue uninterrupted,” Adeseye confirmed.
This marks the second hospital fire incident in Lagos in just over two months, following the March blaze that affected parts of the Ago Medical Centre in Okota. An investigation into the cause of Thursday’s fire is currently underway.
