One man has died and eight others were rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in the Apapa area of Lagos on Thursday, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed.
The LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency’s response team arrived at the scene around 11:09 a.m. at No. 28, Baale Alayabiagba Street, Alayabiagba community, Ajegunle.
The building, which had a penthouse, had completely collapsed, trapping workers beneath the rubble.
“Following distress alerts, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from Agbowa and Alausa.
”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 stated.
He added that one adult male was recovered dead from the debris. Residents reported that the building was undergoing manual demolition when it gave way.
Emergency responders at the scene included officials from LASEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos State Building Control Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Nigeria Police.
Search and rescue operations were ongoing at the time of the report. The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined.
