By Charles Pemu 
LAGOS – Fresh details have emerged regarding the cause of the deaths in the recent fire at Afriland Towers on Lagos Island, with emergency officials and medical personnel confirming that the fatalities were a result of toxic smoke inhalation, not the fire itself.
Ten people, including staff members of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and United Capital, a financial services company, have now been confirmed dead. The victims succumbed to their injuries at various hospitals after being evacuated from the building.
According to an emergency responder, the fire originated from a lithium battery inverter system, an alternative power source in the building. “The fire itself was never the threat; it was the lithium battery powering the inverter, which was an alternative source of power that ignited. So, the smoke traveled fast before we got there,” a senior official said.
The smoke, laden with hazardous materials and carbon monoxide, quickly displaced oxygen, making it difficult for occupants to breathe. Another official explained that victims who panicked and tried to exit the building had already inhaled the toxic fumes before rescuers arrived.
The Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Afriland Properties, Chukwunonso Okafor, confirmed that the incident began in the inverter room, and the smoke spread rapidly through the building, including to emergency exits.
A medical doctor, Odunaiya Sulaimon, explained that inhaling such smoke can cause carbon monoxide to attach to red blood cells, depriving vital organs like the heart, lungs, and brain of oxygen. This condition can lead to organ failure and death. The officials noted that no bodies were recovered from the scene, and all confirmed casualties died later in the hospital from complications related to the smoke inhalation.