Five persons have been confirmed by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) after a three-storey building caved in on Ibadan Street, in Ebute Metta area of the state late Sunday.
According to the emergency management agency, at least 23 persons including children were said to have been rescued alive, ThePunch reports.
The occupants were said to be in their various apartments when the building suddenly collapsed and trapped some of them.
Immediately, emergency agencies were alerted as some residents resorted to self help by searching the rubble to rescue the trapped victims.
Emergency agencies including the NEMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, among others rushed to the scene and commenced a search and rescue operation for the victims.
The acting coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, initially confirmed the death of four occupants, adding that the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition.
Farinyole stated;
Four deaths including two male and two female. 23 people have been rescued alive including seven children and 16 adults. Another young man, Tahin, has just been recovered, making five deaths.
He added that nine of those rescued from the building alive have been treated and discharged from the hospital.
Farinloye said;
They returned to the scene, but have been taken away for proper custody while psycho-social and post trauma counselling are being arranged for them by the Nigerian Red Cross.
On his part, Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement late Sunday, had said some of the injured victims were rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment.
He noted;
On arrival at the incident scene, an old three-storey building comprising rooms and parlour was discovered to have collapsed.
Further information gathered revealed that the incident occurred late Sunday with an undetermined number of people trapped.
He said;
A search and rescue operation is ongoing. 20 rescued alive and out of the victims rescued, two sustained severe injuries and have been taken to LASUTH for further treatment.
Meanwhile, another three-storey building located about 200 metres from the collapsed one has been sealed off by emergency workers and its occupants evacuated.
The sealing of the building said to be on 100, Lagos Street, Ebute Metta followed obvious distress signs noticed by rescuers.
Although the said building was previously marked as distressed by officials of Lagos State Buildings Control Agency (LABSCA), its occupants were said to have been deviant until they were forcefully evacuated this morning.
Watch some videos from the collapsed building below;
“@InsideMainland: JUST IN: Panic as residents killed, others injured in fresh building collapse in Ibadan street, Ebutta Metta Lagos. @Gidi_Traffic
pic.twitter.com/pdF6NXHEcl— GIDI (@Gidi_Traffic) May 2, 2022
This is why Ebute Metta is trending
A 3 story building collapsed on Sunday May 1st, 2022 in Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland.
Lagos houses are death traps!#Lagoshouses#Lagoslandlords pic.twitter.com/4Q0V5jtFd7
— Julie Uche (@iamjulieuche) May 2, 2022
