The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has confirmed the death of one man and the rescue of eight others after a three-storey building under demolition collapsed on Thursday in the Apapa area of Lagos state.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at no. 28, Baale Alayabiagba street, Alayabiagba community, Ajegunle, when the structure suddenly gave way, trapping several workers beneath the debris.
LASEMA permanent secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the incident, said emergency response teams were immediately activated following distress calls.
“Upon arrival, our team discovered that a three-storey building with a penthouse had collapsed while undergoing manual demolition.
“Eight adult males were rescued and treated on-site by the Lagos state ambulance service before being taken to Ajeromi general hospital.
“Unfortunately, one person was recovered dead,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He added that the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, though preliminary reports from residents indicated that the structure was being manually dismantled at the time of the incident.
Rescue operations were jointly carried out by LASEMA, the Lagos state fire and rescue service, the Lagos state building control agency, the Lagos state neighbourhood safety corps, the national emergency management agency, and the Nigeria police.
The LASEMA boss urged residents and developers to comply strictly with approved demolition and construction standards to prevent further tragedies.
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