Tragedy struck in the early hours of Friday when a two-storey building under construction collapsed at Akinola Street, by Fadeyi Bus Stop, off Ikorodu Road, Lagos.
The incident, which occurred at night, trapped construction workers under rubble of concrete blocks, wooden planks, iron rods, and scaffolding, as seen in the picture from the scene.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said it received a distress call at 12:10 a.m. and immediately deployed its Cobra Response Team from Onipanu Base to the location.
According to the agency, the team arrived two minutes later and discovered that workers were trapped beneath the debris, prompting immediate search and rescue operations.
Rescue Operation Through
The NightEmergency responders worked through the night with searchlights and crude tools after groaning sounds were heard beneath the collapsed structure.LASEMA said an excavator was later deployed to aid the operation and ensure safe recovery of victims.
“As at 3:33 a.m., three adult males have been rescued alive while one adult male was recovered deceased,” the agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said in a statement.
He said LASEMA paramedics and the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, provided immediate pre-hospital care to the rescued victims before taking them to hospital.
The agency noted that search and rescue was still ongoing to ascertain if more persons were trapped. Agencies Coordinate Response. The operation was coordinated by the Director of Operations, Engr. Akinsanya, and the Head of Cappa Base, Engr. Salami.
LRU paramedics, LASAMBUS, and officers from Alagbon Police Division, who cordoned off the area.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be established, as regulatory agencies are expected to investigate. LASEMA commiserated with the family of the deceased and reiterated the state government’s commitment to tackling substandard construction and strengthening enforcement with the Lagos State Building Control Agency to prevent recurrence.
