Lagos: One dead, several feared trapped as building collapses

One person has been confirmed dead, while three adult males have been rescued following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction in the Fadeyi area of Lagos State.

Several other persons are feared trapped beneath the rubble as emergency responders continue search and rescue operations at the scene.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, on Friday.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the building collapsed in the early hours of Friday, adding that rescue teams were working to establish whether more people remained trapped beneath the debris.

According to him, LASEMA received a distress call about the incident at 12:10 a.m., prompting the immediate activation of its Cobra Response Team from the agency’s Onipanu Base.

He said the response team arrived at the scene two minutes later, at 12:12 a.m., and discovered that the two-storey structure, which was still under construction, had collapsed.

The team subsequently commenced search and rescue operations after preliminary observations indicated that construction workers might have been trapped beneath the wreckage.

Oke-Osanyintolu said emergency responders immediately began efforts to locate and evacuate victims while implementing safety measures to protect both the trapped persons and personnel involved in the rescue operation.

He disclosed that groaning sounds were heard beneath the rubble during the operation, raising hopes that additional victims could still be alive.

To intensify the search, the agency deployed an excavator to assist responders in removing debris and accessing areas where victims were suspected to be trapped.

The LASEMA Permanent Secretary said three adult males had been rescued from the collapsed building, while one person was confirmed dead.

He added that the rescued victims received immediate pre-hospital medical attention from LASEMA paramedics and personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being transported to hospital for further treatment.

Oke-Osanyintolu listed the agencies involved in the emergency response as the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Alagbon Division.

He said the search and rescue operation remained ongoing as emergency personnel continued efforts to determine whether other construction workers were still trapped beneath the debris.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the circumstances surrounding the incident would be investigated by the relevant regulatory agencies.