LASEMA gives update on Lagos building collapse

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has given an update on the collapse of a two-storey building at Alakija Bus Stop, Satellite Town, saying search, rescue, and recovery operations have been concluded with 27 people rescued alive and nine bodies recovered.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the building collapsed at about 12:47 pm on Thursday in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos.

In a statement issued on Friday by its Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Afolabi Olawale, LASEMA said it immediately activated its emergency response teams.

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The agency said its Sharks Response Team from the Lekki Base and Alpha Cobra Squad from Onipanu arrived at the scene within 40 minutes alongside other emergency responders.

According to LASEMA, agencies involved in the operation included the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Red Cross, and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

LASEMA said all 27 rescued victims received immediate pre-hospital care from LASAMBUS before being taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

It said the fatalities comprised four adults confirmed dead before emergency responders arrived and five additional victims, including a two-year-old girl, recovered during the rescue operation.

According to the agency, the remains were handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for identification and release to their families.

LASEMA said its heavy-duty excavator complemented two excavators deployed by CCECC, enabling responders to safely access trapped victims and complete the operation.

The agency said rescue operations ended at about 4:00 a.m. on Friday after responders reached ground zero.

It added that the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry provided strategic oversight throughout the operation.

LASEMA said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to immediately assess the structural integrity of adjoining buildings and enforce compliance with building regulations in the area.

The agency expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured speedy recovery.

It urged residents to promptly report distressed buildings to LASBCA or through LASEMA’s toll-free emergency lines, 112 and 767, to help prevent similar incidents.