A two-storey building under construction collapsed Tuesday afternoon at Otta Ona Junction, near Mobil filling station bus stop in Ikorodu, Lagos, prompting a swift emergency response from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
According to a preliminary report signed by LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the Agency received distress calls at 2:02 p.m. and immediately activated the state’s emergency response plan, dispatching teams from Agbowa and Alausa. The agency’s “Tiger” and “Lion” Response Teams arrived on scene by 2:40 p.m.
Upon arrival, responders found that the two-storey structure, still under construction, had collapsed, trapping three individuals beneath the rubble. So far, nine adult males have been successfully rescued and treated on-site by LASEMA’s Pre-Hospital Care Unit. No fatalities have been reported as of the time of filing this report.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, deployed to assist in locating and freeing the trapped victims. The immediate vicinity has been cordoned off for safety as emergency personnel continue work at the scene.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, and investigations are expected to follow after rescue operations are concluded.
Emergency responders currently at the scene include LASEMA teams, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
Further updates are expected as operations continue.