Sunday Ehigiator
One person has died while three others have been rescued after a two-storey building under construction collapsed in the Fadeyi area of Lagos State in the early hours of Friday.
The incident occurred on Akinola Street, near Fadeyi Bus Stop, off Ikorodu Road, with emergency responders continuing search-and-rescue operations to determine whether other construction workers remained trapped beneath the rubble.
Speaking on the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency received a distress call at 12:10a.m., prompting the immediate activation of its Cobra Response Team from the Onipanu Base.
According to him, the team arrived at the scene at 12:12a.m. and discovered that the building under construction had collapsed, with construction workers suspected to be trapped beneath the debris.
He said, “Search and rescue operations commenced immediately, with safety measures put in place to protect victims and emergency responders.”
Oke-Osanyintolu added that rescuers heard sounds from beneath the rubble, prompting further efforts to locate possible survivors.
He said, “Groaning sounds were heard beneath the rubble during the operation, indicating possible survivors.”
The agency subsequently deployed an excavator to facilitate the search-and-rescue operation.
As of 3:33a.m., three adult males had been rescued alive, while the body of another adult male was recovered from the debris.
The rescued victims, who were working at the construction site, received immediate pre-hospital medical care from LASEMA paramedics and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being transferred to a hospital for further treatment.
Emergency responders at the scene included the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Alagbon Division.
Oke-Osanyintolu said search-and-rescue operations were continuing to establish whether more people remained trapped beneath the rubble.
The cause of the collapse had yet to be determined, while relevant regulatory authorities were expected to investigate the incident.
The LASEMA chief also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.