One person died while two others were rescued alive following the partial collapse of a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition in Aboru, Lagos.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, confirmed the incident in a statement made available on Thursday in Lagos.
The statement was signed by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the incident occurred at about midnight at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, in the Alimosho area of the state.
He said its Alpha Eagle Response Team was dispatched from the Cappa, Oshodi Response Unit at 12:56 a.m. following a distress call.
According to him, the team arrived at the scene within the projected response time and confirmed that workers were trapped beneath the rubble.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the building was being manually demolished when the collapse occurred,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency immediately activated the state’s Emergency Response Plan and assumed incident command to coordinate the multi-agency rescue operation.
He said two adult males were successfully extricated alive from the debris during the search and rescue operation.
Oke-Osanyintolu said personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) administered life-saving first aid to the rescued victims.
He said the victims were subsequently transported to a nearby health facility for further medical attention.
Oke-Osanyintolu said one adult male was also recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure.
He commiserated with the family of the deceased and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured victims.
He said the ongoing rescue operation was being jointly conducted by LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and LASAMBUS.
He said the incident area had been cordoned off to protect residents and provide rescue personnel with unhindered access to the site.
Oke-Osanyintolu added that community leaders and security agencies were working with emergency responders to ensure the operation was concluded safely and thoroughly.
He reiterated the commitment of the Lagos State Government to protecting lives and property across the state.
He urged members of the public and developers to comply strictly with building regulations and engage only certified professionals for demolition and construction activities.
The Permanent Secretary also urged residents to report suspicious or unsafe building activities through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency numbers.
He said the state government remained committed to strengthening emergency response through capacity building, equipment and decentralisation of response units.
According to him, the measures were aimed at ensuring a 10-minute emergency response time across Lagos.
He said further updates would be provided as the rescue and recovery operation progressed.
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