One Dead, Two Rescued As Building Collapses In Aboru
Kehinde Adeleye
One person has been killed and 2 others injured after a 2 storey building undergoing manual demolition partially collapsed in the Aboru area of Alimosho, Lagos State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said its Alpha Eagle Response Team from the Cappa Oshodi unit was deployed to the scene at 12:56 a.m. following a distress call.
The responders cordoned off the affected area and commenced search and rescue operations after preliminary findings indicated that the building collapsed while workers were carrying out manual demolition.
Several people were trapped beneath the debris.
A joint rescue operation involving LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, led to the rescue of 2 adult males from the rubble.
LASAMBUS personnel administered first aid to the rescued victims at the scene before they were taken to a nearby health facility for further medical evaluation.
However, 1 adult male was recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke Osanyintolu, condoled with the family of the deceased and wished the injured victims a quick recovery.
Oke Osanyintolu urged developers and property owners to comply with building regulations and engage certified professionals for construction and demolition activities.
He also urged residents to report suspected unsafe building or demolition activities through the 767 and 112 toll free emergency lines.
LASEMA said security agencies and community leaders were also working with emergency responders to facilitate access to the scene and ensure the operation was concluded safely.
The agency added that the Lagos State Government was strengthening emergency response through the decentralisation of response units and expansion of equipment capacity, with a target of maintaining a 10 minute emergency response time across the state.
