Balogun Fire Update: Death Toll Rises As Recovery Continues

On December 24, 2025, just as traders and shoppers were preparing for the festive celebrations, a fire broke out on the fourth floor of the GNI House, a high-rise commercial building widely used as a warehouse for clothing materials and other goods.

According to emergency response teams, the blaze spread rapidly to higher floors and adjoining sections of the building, fueled by combustible stock and inadequate fire safety measures. The intensity of the inferno weakened the structure, causing partial collapse in several areas and trapping dozens of occupants and traders who were still inside when the fire started.

Firefighters from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and other emergency units battled the blaze for hours, and in some cases days, to bring the situation under control, while rescue workers continued to comb through the rubble in search of survivors.

What Authorities Are Saying

Officials from the Lagos State Government have been issuing periodic updates as rescue and recovery operations unfold. The government deployed teams from multiple agencies, including LASEMA, LASAMBUS, and fire and rescue services, and stressed that operations are being conducted “in line with internationally accepted emergency response protocols.”

LASEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Usman Bature, later confirmed that the mission has transitioned from active search-and-rescue to a recovery phase after nine days, due to safety concerns and the fragile state of the building. Structural engineers are conducting assessments before a controlled demolition can take place.

Authorities have also established a 50-metre safety perimeter around the structure and urged members of the public to stay clear of the site, warning that residual fire pockets and unstable debris pose ongoing risks to responders and bystanders.

In addition, LASEMA has appealed to families and friends of missing persons to register their loved ones at a help desk set up near the site to aid in identification and trace efforts.

Prominent public figures, including former political candidates and civil society voices, have commended the swift response of government officials and emergency personnel, while also calling for strengthened fire safety standards and better planning for densely populated commercial areas like Balogun.

Number of Deaths and Injuries

The GNI House fire, which has now entered its ninth day of official operations, has claimed multiple lives, although exact numbers remain fluid as recovery continues.

• The Lagos State Government has confirmed at least 6 fatalities following the recovery of additional bodies from the collapsed structure.
• 13 people have been treated for injuries — including eight males, one of whom was a firefighter — with some admitted to hospital and others treated on site.
• Eyewitnesses and family members report that dozens more may still be trapped or unaccounted for beneath the rubble, prompting urgent appeals for ongoing search efforts and support for grieving relatives.

Aftermath and Response

The catastrophe has left the normally vibrant Balogun Market corridor in mourning. Traders have suffered massive financial losses, with goods worth millions of naira destroyed, further deepening economic hardship for market operators during a crucial trading season.

Authorities have indicated that the damaged building is set for demolition once safety conditions are established and the fire is fully extinguished. Plans are underway to clearly define how the implosion will occur without further harm to adjacent structures or emergency personnel.

As of this report, fire crews are still tackling smouldering sections of the debris, and investigations into the precise cause of the outbreak are ongoing.