Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday when a two-storey building caved in at Oyingbo, a bustling area of Lagos Mainland, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident, saying rescue teams were deployed immediately after a distress call was received around 12:11 a.m.
According to him, 26 victims have so far been rescued from the rubble — 21 of whom were taken to nearby General Hospitals for treatment, while five others received medical attention at the scene and were later discharged.
“Victims of emergencies in Lagos are treated free of charge, and that policy is being implemented in this case,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He added that one fatality had been recorded, and the deceased’s body had been taken to the mortuary.
Rescue operations, he explained, were still ongoing with utmost caution to prevent further casualties.
“We’ve divided the disaster site into four quadrants. Light-duty equipment is being used in the inner sections to avoid secondary collapses, while heavy machinery operates on the outer parts,” he noted.
Oke-Osanyintolu assured that the team was “progressing strategically and steadily to ground zero” as search and recovery efforts continued.