Three persons have been confirmed dead as the rescuers continue to search for bodies trapped inside the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House in Lagos State, which was razed on Christmas Eve.

According to the spokesperson of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunboron, in a statement on Saturday, the bodies recovered included an adult female extricated from the collapsed structure, a decapitated man with severed limbs and an adult male extricated with body intact.

LASEMA said that eight people with varying degrees of injuries, including a fireman, were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.

The agency added that three males and two females, who sustained minor injuries in the fire, received first aid at the scene and were later discharged.

He said that search and rescue efforts by LASEMA’s response teams, NEMA, Red Cross, and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were ongoing.

The agency assured that further updates would be provided as operations progressed.

TVC News previously reported that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in synergy with sister emergency responders, has successfully contained the inferno that razed sections of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Martins Street, Lagos Island.

According to an update made available to TVC News by the agency, the inferno that spread to the nearby Mosque has been brought under control.

The statement reads, “The Oluwole plaza has now been largely salvaged, and the fire also extinguished. ⁠The adjoining buildings in proximity to the high-rise building have all been largely salvaged, and coordinated efforts continue towards ensuring the inferno is totally extinguished.”

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