Death Toll Rises After Lagos Building Collapse as Rescue Operation Ends

(Lagos building collapse. Photo by Daily Post)

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has concluded search, rescue and recovery operations at the site of a collapsed two-storey building near Alakija Bus Stop in Satellite Town, successfully rescuing 27 persons alive while recovering nine b0dies from the rubble.

The building reportedly came down around 12:47 p.m. on Thursday in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos.

In a statement issued on Friday by the agency's Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, LASEMA said emergency response teams were immediately mobilised to the scene following distress alerts.

Its Sharks Response Team from the Lekki Base and the Alpha Cobra Squad from Onipanu arrived at the location within 40 minutes alongside other emergency responders.

Agencies that took part 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, LNSC, 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 disclosed that all 27 rescued victims received immediate medical attention from LASAMBUS officials before being transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

The agency noted that the fatalities included four adults confirmed d£ad before rescuers arrived at the scene, while five additional victims among them a two-year-old girl were later recovered during the operation.

The remains of the d£ceased were handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for identification and release to their families.

The agency added that its heavy-duty excavator worked in collaboration with two excavators deployed by CCECC, enabling rescue workers to access trapped victims and complete the operation safely.

Rescue efforts were concluded around 4:00 a.m. on Friday after emergency responders successfully reached ground zero.

LASEMA further disclosed that the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, supervised the operation throughout the exercise.

The agency also revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed LASBCA to immediately conduct integrity tests on adjoining buildings and ensure strict compliance with building regulations within the area.

LASEMA expressed sympathy with the families of the d£ceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

It further urged residents to promptly report distressed structures to LASBCA or through the agency's emergency toll-free lines, 112 and 767, to help prevent similar incidents in the future.