By Attah Ede
At least one person has been killed and three others rescued after a two-storey building under construction collapsed in the Fadeyi area of Lagos State.
The collapsed building also trapped several other people beneath the rubble.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday.
The statement, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, and made available to newsmen, said the building collapsed in the early hours of Friday, prompting an emergency response from the agency.
Emergency responders have continued search and rescue operations at the scene, where groaning sounds were heard beneath the debris, raising hopes that more victims could still be alive.
Oke-Osanyintolu disclosed that LASEMA received a distress call at 12:10 a.m. and immediately activated its Cobra Response Team from the agency’s Onipanu Base.
“The team arrived at the scene at 12:12 a.m. and found that the two-storey structure, which was still under construction, had collapsed.
“Preliminary observations suggested that construction workers might have been trapped beneath the debris, leading to the immediate start of search and rescue operations”, he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said emergency personnel began removing debris and searching for victims while taking steps to protect both the trapped persons and the rescue teams.
He disclosed that an excavator had been deployed to help clear the rubble and reach areas where victims were believed to be trapped. He added that three adult males had been rescued, while one person was found dead.
According to him, LASEMA paramedics and personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) provided immediate medical attention to the rescued victims before taking them to hospital for further treatment.
The agencies involved in the operation include LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Alagbon Division.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the search remained ongoing as responders worked to establish whether more construction workers were still trapped beneath the collapsed building. He added that relevant regulatory agencies would investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
