Olusegun Adeyemo
Tragedy struck again in Lagos on Thursday when a three-storey building with a penthouse collapsed in the Apapa area of the state, killing one person and leaving eight others injured.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident, which occurred at No. 28, Baale Alayabiagba Street, in the Alayabiagba community of Ajegunle, Apapa, around 11:09 a.m.
According to the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency’s response teams from Agbowa and Alausa were immediately deployed after receiving distress calls.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the three-storey building with a penthouse had collapsed completely, trapping several workers under the rubble,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He confirmed that eight adult males were rescued alive and treated on the spot by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being taken to Ajeromi General Hospital for further care.
Sadly, one adult male was recovered dead from the debris.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the building was undergoing manual demolition when it suddenly gave way, burying workers who were carrying out the task.
The cause of the collapse, however, has not yet been determined.
Personnel from several emergency and regulatory agencies, including LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigeria Police Force, were present at the scene.
Search and rescue efforts were still ongoing at the time of filing this report.