A two-storey building under construction has collapsed at Otta Ona Junction, near the Mobil Filling Station bus stop in Ikorodu, Lagos State, leaving five people dead and several others injured.
According to a situation update released by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) on Wednesday, the agency promptly activated the state’s emergency response plans following distress alerts.
The agency said teams were mobilised from the Agbowa, Alausa, and Cappa bases to the scene of the incident. Upon arrival, LASEMA’s Lion, Tiger, and Eagle Response Teams discovered that five individuals were trapped beneath the rubble.
However, the agency revealed that several adult males were successfully rescued and attended to by LASEMA’s Pre-Hospital Care Unit.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined as of the time of this report. LASEMA stated that investigations are ongoing to ascertain what led to the structural failure of the building, which was still under construction at the time it came down.
To support the rescue operation, the agency said it deployed heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, to clear the debris and locate victims.
Additionally, floodlights were employed to light the site and make nighttime activities easier. Officers from the Igbogbo Police Division have subsequently received the deceased’s bodies.
At the time this report was filed, search and rescue operations were still in progress. In order to protect the public and emergency personnel, LASEMA stated that the damaged building is currently being demolished to ground level.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Building Control Agency, and Federal Road Safety Corps were among the important agencies that participated in the emergency operation.
