The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in the early hours of today, responded swiftly to a distress call regarding the partial collapse of a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, in the Alimosho area of the state.
The Agency’s Alpha Eagle Response Team was immediately dispatched from the Cappa, Oshodi LASEMA Response Unit at 12:56 a.m. and arrived at the incident scene within the projected response time. On arrival, first responders confirmed that the structure had collapsed during demolition activities, with workers trapped under the debris.
Preliminary findings indicate that the building was being manually demolished when the collapse occurred. In line with global best practices for disaster and emergency management, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plan and immediately assumed incident command to coordinate all stakeholders on the ground.
Through a coordinated search and rescue operation, two adult males were extricated alive from the rubble and were promptly administered life-saving first aid by personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), before being moved to a nearby health facility for further medical attention. Sadly, one adult male was recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure. The Agency commiserates with the family of the deceased and prays for the quick recovery of the injured.
The ongoing operation is being jointly conducted by LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and LASAMBUS. The incident area has been cordoned off to ensure the safety of residents and to allow rescue personnel unhindered access. Stakeholders, including community leaders and security agencies, are working in concert with the Agency to ensure a thorough and safe conclusion to the operation.
The Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, reiterates the commitment of the Lagos State Government to the protection of lives and property. He also urged members of the public and developers to adhere strictly to building regulations and to engage only certified professionals for demolition and construction activities. Any suspicious or unsafe building activity should be reported immediately to the Agency through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency numbers.
The Lagos State Government remains resolute in its mandate to ensure prompt emergency response, and will continue to invest in capacity building, equipment, and decentralisation of response units to guarantee a 10-minute response time across the state.