By GODFREY BIVBERE, GODWIN ORITSE & DAVID EBEATERHE-SAGUA
LAGOS—Activities at the headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Apapa, Lagos, were paralysed in the early hours of yesterday, as fire gutted the second floor of the building.
The entire 10-floor building would have been destroyed by the fire, but for the timely intervention of men of the Federal Fire Service who quickly saved the situation .
Eyewitness accounts attributed the fire to faulty electrical appliances while some others said it was an electrical surge that affected an air-conditioning unit on the second floor. This quickly spread to adjoining cubicles and offices, destroying office equipment and personal effects of fleeing staff.
There were reports of staff trapped on the floor due to on-going repair works, though there was no loss of life.
Meanwhile, the agency's management asked its staff to go home for the day as a result of the incident.
Head of Public Relations for the agency, Hajia Lami Tumaka, could not corroborate the reports of the purported source of the fire. She said such speculations would be disregarded.
Vanguard Nigeria