The three Omatu brothers who died in the fire that gutted the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Lagos Island, Lagos State, will be buried on January 14.
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The fire reportedly started on the fourth floor and quickly spread to the sixth floor before engulfing the remaining floors and adjoining structures. A detached section of the plaza, estimated to be about seven floors high, collapsed during the blaze, trapping some traders and market assistants.
The Omatu family lost three brothers in the incident: Steve, 40; Casmir, 39; and Collins, 37. A surviving twin, Camillus Omatu, reportedly escaped the fire.
Updating the public, a sister of the deceased, Mimi Nonyerem, said a service of songs would be held on January 7, with the burial taking place on January 14 in Anambra State. In a Facebook post, she requested prayers and invited well-wishers in Ihiala, Anambra State, to attend.
On January 3, Nonyerem marked the posthumous birthday of Steve Omatu, writing, “Happy birthday, Uncle Steve. I will wake up from this dream.” Another relative, William Omatu, posted, “Happy birthday, nwannem Stephen Onyeka Omatu. Congratulations on your first birthday in heaven. May the angels and saints celebrate you.”
Preliminary investigations by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency revealed the fire originated from an apartment on the fourth floor before spreading further. Shop owners reportedly fled in panic while emergency responders battled the blaze for hours and days to bring it under control.
As of last Monday, about 20 people were reportedly still trapped under the rubble. Relatives provided names and photographs of their missing loved ones, including Elo Chukwu, Omeigbo Chuwuebuka, Omeigbo Chukwudubem, Kayode Omoniyi, Ikechukwudi Asobi, Murphy Aborinwa, Onyeka Obinwa, Mercy Ukamaka, Taofeeq Opera, and a trader named Chiding with two of his sons. Several other market assistants remain unaccounted for.
So far, emergency responders have recovered eight bodies, with recovery operations ongoing.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services stated that preliminary assessments revealed serious fire safety violations. These included overstocking of combustible materials, poor ventilation, lack of proper fire safety infrastructure, unsafe generator usage, shops constructed around transformers, and other hazardous practices. She warned that such conditions could lead to spontaneous ignition even without external triggers.
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