One person has died while two others were rescued after a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition collapsed in the Aboru area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred at about 12:56am on Thursday at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, in Alimosho Local Government Area.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said emergency responders were alerted and immediately deployed the agency’s Alpha Eagle Response Team to the scene.
Oke-Osanyintolu said preliminary investigations indicated that the structure collapsed while demolition work was ongoing.
He said, “On arrival, first responders confirmed that the structure had collapsed during demolition activities, with workers trapped under the debris.”
According to him, LASEMA activated the state’s Emergency Response Plan and coordinated the rescue operation alongside other emergency agencies.
Two adult men were rescued alive from the rubble and received first aid from personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service before being transported to a nearby medical facility.
However, another adult male was recovered dead from beneath the debris.
Oke-Osanyintolu said, “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.”
He added that the rescue operation involved LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and LASAMBUS.
The area was subsequently cordoned off to safeguard residents and provide a secure environment for emergency personnel to continue their operations.
The LASEMA official urged residents, property owners and developers to adhere to approved building regulations and ensure that demolition and construction activities were handled by qualified professionals.
He also advised residents to report suspected unsafe building activities through the state’s emergency numbers, 767 or 112.
The incident comes months after another building collapse in the Alakija area of Lagos reportedly killed eight people and left 26 others rescued.
The Lagos State Government has repeatedly emphasised the need for improved compliance with safety standards as part of efforts to reduce building-related emergencies across the state.
