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Tuesday 15 January 2019

UK Returnee And Guests Jump From Window To Escape Death As Fire Guts Hotel Beside Airport


Property worth millions of naira was yesterday destroyed by fire at the bar section, reception and some rooms of the Excel Oriental Hotel on Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The fire, which started at about 4:30p.m. was said to have completely razed down the bar. The Guardian gathered that the fire was caused by an electric spark at the bar area of the hotel.

The Managing Director of the hotel, Mr Osun Segun, described the incident as unfortunate, stating that the fire didn’t affect the entirety of the hotel, but rather the bar and some rooms. He added that the management was on top the situation to restore normalcy and resume operation in earnest, just as he profusely apologized to guests lodging in the hotel, many of whom were seen clutching to their belonging and leaving in groups.


A guest who lost his all his property said he flew in from London some hours before the incident only to meet the fire tragedy just when he was about to relax from the jet lag. “I am so traumatized and not in the best position to speak because I just flew in from London this afternoon to be with my family in Nigeria,” he said.


Also, another affected guest who declined to provide her name said she jumped from her room upstairs, which saved her from burning to ashes. Showing off the bruises on her body, she added that she is left with no option than to relocate to another hotel. Though she decried the loss of some of her valuable property, she thanks God for saving her life.

Men of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Fire Service and Lagos Response Unit (LRU) were on ground to restore normalcy and ensure no life was lost to the incident. The Managing Director of the hotel, however, added that only a guest sustained an injury and has been taking to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In another development, a truck loaded with bags of sachet water at the weekend caught fire at Afariogun Street, Orile-Oshodi area of Lagos. Panic was spread across residents of the area as the truck gutted fire in front of a gas shop. Eyewitnesses blamed the driver of the truck for the fire due to his nonchalant attitude of using a 25-litre jerry-can to store petrol in place of his faulty fuel tank.

The fire, which exploded from the jerry-can filled with petrol was placed beside the driver’s seat in front. Residents immediately rallied and came to the driver’s rescue with fire extinguisher and water. They expressed joy that the fire didn’t spread to the nearby gas shop.

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