LASEMA confirms one dead, two rescued as building collapses in Lagos

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has said that one life was lost, and two others were rescued, when a building collapsed in the early hours of Thursday in a Lagos community.

According to LASEMA, the tragedy occurred when a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, in the Alimosho area of the state, suddenly collapsed.

Responding, the agency’s Alpha Eagle Response Team was immediately dispatched from the Cappa, Oshodi LASEMA Response Unit at 12:56 a.m. and arrived at the incident scene within the projected response time.

In a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the preliminary findings revealed that the building was being manually demolished when the collapse occurred.

“Through a coordinated search and rescue operation, two adult males were extricated alive from the rubble and were promptly administered life-saving first aid by personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, before being moved to a nearby health facility for further medical attention. Sadly, one adult male was recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure,” the statement said.

LASEMA PS said the ongoing operation was being jointly conducted by LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and LASAMBUS, adding that the incident area had been cordoned off to ensure the safety of residents and to allow rescue personnel unhindered access.

It was also gathered that stakeholders, including community leaders and security agencies, are working in concert with the Agency to ensure a thorough and safe conclusion to the operation.

While reiterating the Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, the LASEMA PS also urged members of the public and developers to adhere strictly to building regulations and engage only certified professionals for demolition and construction activities.

“Any suspicious or unsafe building activity should be reported immediately to the Agency through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency numbers.

“The Lagos State Government remains resolute in its mandate to ensure prompt emergency response, and will continue to invest in capacity building, equipment, and decentralisation of response units to guarantee a 10-minute response time across the state,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.