LAGOS, Nigeria—Four staff members of Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have died following a fire that engulfed a commercial building in the city’s financial district on Tuesday.
The fire broke out at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, affecting the sixth and seventh floors, which house FIRS offices. The tax agency confirmed the deaths in a public statement, saying the incident has “thrown the entire FIRS community into mourning.”
The statement noted that FIRS security personnel had promptly alerted the fire service, but that the building was already filled with “thick smoke” by the time emergency crews arrived. Nine people were rescued from the blaze, and five were successfully resuscitated. The others were able to escape the building without injury.
The FIRS has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said it is in close contact with them, offering support during this “difficult time.” In the wake of the tragedy, the agency said it is reviewing and strengthening safety protocols across all its offices nationwide to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
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