LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Fire gutted a Nigerian state oil company building Tuesday, engulfing offices in billowing smoke and sending flames leaping from several floors.
The fire began overnight, before the 11-story building filled for the workday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Firefighters battled the flames throughout the day, but appeared to have the fire under control by evening. The building is in the Ikoyi business district of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.
It was not immediately known what caused the fire. President Olusegun Obasanjo promised an investigation.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. manages the country's joint ventures with oil multinationals, including ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and Royal-Dutch Shell.
State television later Tuesday quoted Obasanjo as saying important documents related to the joint venture operations were destroyed in the fire. However, oil operations were not likely to be affected as copies of the documents were deposited with the oil companies and the main office of the state oil firm in Abuja, he said.
Nigeria is a leading exporter of oil.
