The National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday deployed a high-powered technical team from Abuja to Lagos to strengthen the multi-agency response at the Great Nigeria Insurance House fire on Lagos Island.

The NEMA director-general, Zubaida Umar, approved the deployment aimed at providing technical support and improving coordination of rescue and recovery efforts at the affected 22-storey building.

The technical team led by the agency’s director, Search and Rescue, Usman Bature, arrived in Lagos on Wednesday night and proceeded to the incident site.

On arrival, Mr Bature held an operational meeting with responders and conducted a preliminary assessment of the situation.

The Great Nigeria Insurance House fire broke out on Saturday on Martins Street, Lagos Island, starting on the upper floors and spreading through warehouses and offices, prompting a multi-agency emergency response.

Firefighters, including NEMA and LASEMA, have been battling the blaze for days as adjoining buildings faced the risk of collapse; casualties are limited, but structural damage has led authorities to plan demolition and ongoing safety assessments.

He reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to working with LASEMA, the federal and state fire services, security agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and coordinated rescue effort.

He said the priority was to expedite rescue and recovery efforts while ensuring the safety of emergency workers and members of the public at the scene.

According to him, the team’s deployment is to reinforce the work of its Lagos Operations Office, which has been active at the site since the fire outbreak.

The NEMA director assured the public that necessary measures were being taken with relevant agencies to manage the situation and support affected persons.

Mohammed Olatunde, head of NEMA’s Lagos operations office, said that six persons had been recovered so far, while 13 with various injuries had been treated and had gone home.

Mr Olatunde said that further updates would be provided as emergency operations continue at the scene.

The building reportedly housed textile materials, which intensified the blaze and complicated emergency teams’ response operations.

(NAN)