Tragedy struck in the Apapa area of Lagos on Thursday after a three-storey building with a penthouse collapsed, killing one person and injuring eight others.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the building, located at No. 28 Baale Alayabiagba Street, Alayabiagba community, Ajegunle, came down while undergoing manual demolition.
According to Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, the agency received distress calls around 11:09 a.m., prompting an immediate activation of the State’s Emergency Response Plan.
“Upon arrival of the agency’s response teams at 11:09 a.m., it was discovered that a three-storey building with a penthouse collapsed on Thursday at No. 28 Baale Alayabiagba Street, Alayabiagba community, Ajegunle, Apapa area of Lagos.
Eight adult males were rescued alive and given first aid by the Lagos State Ambulance Service before being taken to Ajeromi General Hospital. Unfortunately, one adult male was recovered dead from the debris,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
Eyewitnesses revealed that several construction workers were inside the building at the time of the collapse. The cause of the tragedy, however, remains unknown, as investigations are still ongoing.
Emergency responders at the scene included LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigeria Police Force.
Oke-Osanyintolu assured residents that search and rescue efforts would continue until the site is cleared and all victims accounted for.
