Ten persons rescued as four-storey building collapses in Lagos

Ten persons rescued as four-storey building collapses in LagosA four-storey building under renovation collapsed in Lagos on Thursday trapping some residents.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the incident at no 15, Iga Iduganran Street on Lagos Island, occurred on Thursday morning.

LASEMA, as the agency is called, said a distress call was placed through to it reporting the collapse at about 11:35am following which it immediately mobilised to the scene.

“LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans with Response Teams from Lekki and Cappa Bases arriving at the incident scene with requisite sophisticated heavy duty equipment”, a statement from the agency’s boss, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said.

The building was said to have given way under renovation without the immediate cause of the collapse yet to be ascertained. The structure was already marked for evacuation by the state authorities due to its weak nature and it wasn’t immediately clear why it was still occupied.

Although there was no fatality recorded, many residents of the building were trapped under the rubble.

In the serach and rescue effort led by LASEMA, ten victims were rescued and given first aid before they were transferred to the hospital for proper medical care.

LASEMA said: “The rescued consists of seven adult males, three adult females, some of whom suffered various degrees of injuries.

“Search and Rescue Operation is still ongoing, and will be followed by recovery and deconstruction of the collapsed building to ground-zero with the Agency’s sophisticated heavy duty equipment (Excavator).”