The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, on Thursday, confirmed the death of one adult male from a three-story building that collapsed in the Apapa area of Lagos State.
LASEMA also stated that eight people were rescued from the building.
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, confirmed this in a statement to NAN on Thursday in Lagos.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency’s response team arrived at the location about 11:09 a.m. and discovered the building had totally collapsed, burying numerous workers beneath the rubble.
“Following distress alerts at 11:09 am, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from Agbowa and Alausa.
“Upon arrival of the agency’s response teams at 11:09 am, it was discovered that a three-story building with a penthouse collapsed on Thursday at No. 28, Baale Alayabiagba Street, Alayabiagba community, Ajegunle, Apapa area of Lagos.
“The cause of the collapsed building is yet to be ascertained,” he said.
“Eight adult males were rescued alive and given first aid by the Lagos State Ambulance Service before being taken to Ajeromi General Hospital,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He stated that one adult guy had been found dead in the wreckage.
According to residents, the structure collapsed while being manually demolished, burying personnel on the site.
Officials from LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Nigeria Police responded to the scene.
At the time of filing this report, search and rescue activities were still ongoing.
