One person has died while two others were rescued after a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition partially collapsed in Aboru, Alimosho area of Lagos State.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the building, located at No. 42 Governors Road, Aboru, collapsed at about midnight, trapping workers beneath the rubble.
He said LASEMA’s Alpha Eagle Response Team was deployed from the Cappa, Oshodi Response Unit at 12:56 a.m. following a distress call.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the building was being manually demolished when the collapse occurred,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said two adult males were rescued alive from the debris, while one adult male was recovered dead.
The rescued victims received first aid from personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being taken to a nearby health facility for further treatment.
The rescue and recovery operation was jointly handled by LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and LASAMBUS.
The area was subsequently cordoned off to protect residents and allow emergency responders to operate without obstruction.
Community leaders and security agencies also assisted emergency personnel at the scene.
Oke-Osanyintolu commiserated with the family of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
He urged residents, developers and property owners to comply with building regulations and engage certified professionals for construction and demolition works.
He also advised members of the public to report unsafe or suspicious building activities through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.
The Permanent Secretary said the Lagos State Government remained committed to improving emergency response through capacity building, equipment and the decentralisation of response units, with the goal of achieving a 10-minute response time across the state.