A fire broke out on Thursday at a multi-storey building housing a Polaris Bank branch on Broad Street in Lagos, causing anxiety among local business owners, residents, and onlookers.
Footage circulating on social media captured thick plumes of smoke rising from the structure while crowds gathered nearby to watch the situation unfold.
First responders, including teams of firefighters, arrived quickly at the scene to battle the flames and stop the fire from reaching neighboring buildings. The precise cause of the fire remains unknown.
Addressing the situation on Thursday, Polaris Bank released a statement explaining that the fire originated in the car park of the Broad Street branch and was efficiently brought under control.
The financial institution confirmed that no one was injured or killed, praising the swift actions of the emergency teams.
“Following the fire incident at the Car Park of our Broad Street Branch, Lagos, we are pleased to confirm that the situation was swiftly contained and, thankfully, there were no casualties or fatalities,” the statement read. “We appreciate the prompt response of emergency services.”
Polaris Bank also strongly refuted online rumors claiming that 34 people had died in the blaze, labeling those reports as entirely misleading. The bank cautioned the public against spreading unverified internet speculation and advised them to look only to reputable media outlets and formal bank statements.
“We urge the public to rely only on credible news platform and our official channels for accurate information and disregard false reports circulating online,” the statement added.
