The National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed the deaths of two people following the collapse of a two-storey building at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, Oyingbo, Lagos State, on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the agency on Tuesday via its X handle, 20 survivors were rescued from the rubble after hours of intensive operations led by NEMA’s Lagos Operations Office in collaboration with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Police, and other emergency responders.
“Upon arrival, emergency teams discovered several occupants trapped beneath the debris. After several hours of intensive operations, 20 persons were rescued alive, while those with injuries were promptly evacuated to nearby hospitals for treatment. Sadly, two fatalities were confirmed,” NEMA stated.
The agency said the search and rescue operation had been concluded and all occupants accounted for. It added that the Nigeria Police Force supervised the clearing of the site and maintained security and crowd control during the exercise.
Preliminary findings revealed that the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency.
However, occupants allegedly disregarded evacuation notices issued prior to the incident.
“Preliminary assessment revealed that the collapsed structure had been previously marked for demolition, but occupants reportedly ignored the evacuation directive,” the statement added.
A shop owner, identified simply as Mrs Adaeze, said she was alerted in the middle of the night when the building caved in.
“I was called in the middle of the night that the building had collapsed. When I got here, I saw that my goods worth millions of naira were trapped under the debris. The government had been giving us notice to leave because the building was distressed, but the landlord refused to cooperate,” she lamented.
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, attributed the incident to the midnight rainfall that weakened the already distressed structure.
“I was awake when we heard people shouting for help around 1 a.m., shortly after the rain stopped. We rushed to the scene and started rescuing people before emergency officials arrived,” he recounted.
Jamiu said visible cracks had appeared on the building’s walls long before the collapse, adding that residents ignored the warning signs.
“When you passed by, you would see the cracks and wonder why people were still living there,” he added.
NEMA commended the swift response of all agencies involved and urged residents to obey safety and evacuation directives to avert similar tragedies.
“Residents must comply with official safety notices to prevent avoidable loss of lives,” the agency warned.
