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Confirms Death of Staff in Incident
- Safiu Kehinde
The United Bank of Africa’s (UBA) Chairman, Tony Elumelu, has aborted his trip to the United States over the fire outbreak at Afriland Tower in Lagos.
NPO Reported that the eight-storey building which housed one of UBA’s branches in Lagos Island was on Tuesday gutted by fire.
The incident led to the emergency evacuation of occupants trapped in the building.
Videos circulating on social media showed the trapped occupants making their ways out of the building through broken windows and ladders stretched across the window by first responders.
Some were forced to jump off the building in desperate effort to escape the raging inferno and toxic smoke that engulfed the building.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Elumelu, who is also the Chairman of Afriland Properties, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
As against initial reports of zero casualties, Elumelu disclosed that some Afriland staff died in the inferno.
While the total number of casualties was not disclosed, the Afriland Chairman noted that he was en route to New York for the UNGA when the incident occurred.
He said he had to cut his trip short and return to Lagos as a mark of respect to his lost colleagues.
“I am shattered by yesterday’s devastating incident at Afriland Towers, that took the lives of our dear colleagues.
“No words can capture the magnitude of this loss – not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.
“Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people, those who walk through our doors each day and share our mission.
“I learnt of this on my way to the US, enroute to New York for UNGA. I have cut short my trip to return to Lagos as a mark of respect to our lost colleagues.” Elumelu wrote.
He further urged staff and associates to stand in solidarity with those receiving care, while assuring that the company would extend full support to the families of the deceased.