A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) branch on Lagos Island, prompting members of staff to jump out of the upper floors of the building to escape.
Videos from the incident went viral on social media and show members of staff climbing out of windows and jumping from upper floors as thick smoke poured out of the building. While bystanders also rushed to the scene, some went to help the staff escape, while others recorded the chaos.
Later, emergency services and the fire service arrived with trucks and hoses to battle the blaze. By press time, there had been no confirmations of injuries, although no one knew the full extent of injuries to those who jumped out.
The cause of the fire remains yet unclear. It is expected that authorities will investigate where the fire started and why it spread so rapidly. In addition, structural assessments and evaluations of damaged properties are underway.
Management at UBA has yet to release a statement. The safety of both employees and customers were also a major concern, prompting the question of what type of fire safety measures and preparedness plans were in place for such a commercial building.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos, as staff leaped out of the building. Many have recently taken to social media to share images and video of the event.
As the emergency services continue their work at the site, the incident serves as further evidence of the need for improved safety infrastructure in commercial buildings across the nation
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