Chaos erupted at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) branch on Lagos Island today as a massive fire outbreak engulfed the building, forcing terrified staff and customers to flee for their lives.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of pandemonium around 2pm when thick black smoke billowed from the multi-storey structure, believed to be located at Afriland Towers along Broad Street. Videos circulating on social media showed flames licking the upper floors, with bank employees leaping from windows and balconies in a bid to escape the inferno.”Happening now: UBA Bank at Lagos Island is currently on fire,” tweeted @Biigg_S at 2:21pm, sharing a clip of the blaze raging unchecked.
Similar footage posted by@ChuksEricE captured the heart-stopping moment a staff member jumped from a storey building, landing amid shouts from onlookers below
The cause of the fire remains unknown, with no official word yet from UBA management or emergency services as at press time. However, sources at the scene hinted at a possible electrical fault or generator malfunction, common triggers for such incidents in high-rise commercial buildings.
Lagos State Fire Service and Federal Fire Service teams were reportedly mobilised, but delays in response time drew sharp criticism from bystanders. “The fire is spreading fast, and these people are jumping like their lives depend on it – because it does,” said one trader near the bank, who declined to give his name.
This is not the first time a UBA facility has been hit by fire in Lagos. In 2018, a blaze razed an office at the bank’s Victoria Island branch, causing widespread panic but no fatalities.
UBA’s in-house fire unit has previously been praised for aiding in extinguishing blazes at other locations, including a 2020 inferno at an Obalende filling station. It remains to be seen if the bank’s own resources will be deployed to contain this latest outbreak.
As emergency responders battle the flames, authorities have cordoned off the area, advising motorists to avoid Broad Street and adjoining roads. Updates on casualties, damage extent and investigations will follow as more details emerge
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