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Tag: Lagos building collapse

  • Death toll in Lagos building collapse rises to three

    Death toll in Lagos building collapse rises to three

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has recovered three dead bodies in the building that collapsed at Ikorodu area of the state on Tuesday.

    The LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.

    Oke-Osanyintolu said the three people that trapped under the collapsed building had been recovered dead.

    He added that nine adult males were successfully rescued and attended by LASEMA Pre-Hospital Care Unit.

    “Following distress alerts at 14:02 hours, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from Agbowa and Alausa.

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    “Upon arrival of agency’s response teams at 14:40hours, it was discovered that a two-storey building undergoing construction had collapsed, with three victims trapped under the debris at the aforementioned location.

    “Search and Rescue Operation is still ongoing. All the bodies have been handed over to Igbogbo Police Station.

    “The cause of the collapsed building is yet to be ascertained,” he said.

    He said that safety measures were activated with the operational area cordoned-off at the incident scene. (NAN)

  • Death toll in Lagos building collapse rises to seven

    Death toll in Lagos building collapse rises to seven

    Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) yesterday said the death toll from the rubble of a three-storey building that collapsed at Ojodu-Berger had risen to seven.

    Its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Oke-Osanyintolu added that the total number of people rescued had increased to 13.

    “As at the time of this report, total number of victims is now 20 persons.13 people have been rescued alive, comprising of four adult females and nine adult males.

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    “The number of bodies recovered so far are now seven persons comprising of five adult females and two adult males,” he said.

    He said the operation was still ongoing, adding that safety precautions had been activated.

    “Crowd control, outer, and inner cordons is still maintained to ensure safe operation,” he said.

    NAN had earlier reported that the incident happened about 09.45 hours on Saturday.

    “Following distress alerts at 09.45hrs, LASEMA activated the Emergency Response Plans from Command and Control Centre, Alausa and Onipanu.

  • Wife, son escape death as husband trapped in Lagos building collapse

    Wife, son escape death as husband trapped in Lagos building collapse

    In an emotional account, an eyewitness described how a man became trapped in his car when a three-story building collapsed at 10, Oremeta street, Berger, Lagos, on Saturday, April 19.

    Speaking to The Nation in the early hours of Sunday, the eyewitness—who requested anonymity—revealed that a family of three had been dining at the restaurant located within the collapsed building before tragedy struck.

    According to him, the wife and their son had stepped out to get something, while the husband went to retrieve an item from his car parked within the compound.

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    “He was in the car when the building suddenly came down. He didn’t make it out,” the witness said, his voice heavy with emotion.

    The Nation gathered that two people were rescued alive, while several others—including cooks working at the restaurant—remain trapped beneath the rubble.

    A Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) official confirmed that some vehicles were also buried under the debris, adding that rescue operations are ongoing to reach the remaining victims.

    Meanwhile, some hoodlums were seen looting food items from the restaurant’s kitchen, disguising their actions as part of the rescue efforts.

  • Lagos building collapse: Death toll rises to five 

    Lagos building collapse: Death toll rises to five 

    The total number of people recovered dead from the collapsed three-storey building has risen to five, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) revealed Sunday morning.

    Permanent Secretary (PS) Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu gave the figure in an update shared around 6am.

    According to him, all the five deceased were adults, adding that the update was as at 5am.

    The three storey buildings located at 10 Oremeta Street, Ojodu Berger caved in around 8:32am on Saturday leaving scores trapped underneath the rubble.

    During his visit to the scene, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh revealed that 22 victims had been rescued from the building.

    Despite being an old building, it was being used as an eatery while construction work was also ongoing at the time it caved in.

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    In an earlier update shared around 11pm on Saturday, Oke-Osanyintolu said those rescued included 11 women, confirming two fatalities, while the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service put the figure of survivors at 12 as at 8:17pm.

    Also, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed two deaths comprising a male and a female with 15 rescued as of 8:23pm on Saturday.

    In his Sunday morning update, Oke-Osanyintolu said: “A total of 13 adults have  been rescued alive so far and have received pre-hospital care. Five adults fatalities have been recovered and transferred to the morgue. 

    “All first responders remain on the scene to continue search and rescue operations. Further updates to follow.”

  • Two killed, 22 rescued in Lagos building collapse

    Two killed, 22 rescued in Lagos building collapse

    Two persons have been confirmed dead and 22 others rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos on Saturday morning.

    Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, gave the figures when he visited the scene of the collapsed building at 10, Oremeta Street, Ojodu Berger.

    The Nation gathered that the building caved in at about 8:32am.

    Although the structure which was being used as a restaurant was old, it was gathered that construction work was ongoing at the time it collapsed.

    However, it remained unclear if authorities had issued an eviction or stop-work notice to the occupants before it caved in.

    Speaking to journalists, CP Jimoh said investigation into the cause of the collapse had commenced.

    He assured residents that the authorities would get to the roots of the matter, noting that efforts were ongoing to ensure that anyone still trapped in the rubble was rescued.

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    According to the CP, the names of the owners and managers of the property were known, confirming that construction work was ongoing at the time of the collapse.

    “My Deputy Commissioner is still at the scene to ensure and coordinate security. People are still feared trapped, and so search and rescue is ongoing,” he said.

    Residents said they and the police rallied to ensure the safe evacuation of some of the trapped victims, including women, before the arrival of emergency workers.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) also confirmed the incident to The Nation.

  • JUST IN: Two rescued in Lagos building collapse

    JUST IN: Two rescued in Lagos building collapse

    Two persons have been rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos Island.

    The building said to be under construction, caved in Sunday afternoon at 4, Agarawu Street, Lagos Island.

    The victims were said to have been trapped when the building collapsed and were only extricated from the rubble by emergency workers who rushed them to the hospital.

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    Confirming the incident, the Lagos Police Command said no life was lost.

    Spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the site had been cordoned off by responders, adding that there was calm in the neighbourhood.

    He said the relevant agencies would probe the cause of the collapse.

  • Two dead, six injured in Lagos building collapse

    Two dead, six injured in Lagos building collapse

    Two persons died yesterday and six injured after a two-storey building collapsed at Oriwu Estate, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

    It was gathered that the building was under construction at the time of collapse and many workers were inside it.

    Initially, emergency workers rescued 14 persons underneath the rubble and rushed them  to the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment.

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    Confirming the collapse and casaulties, the Permanent Secretary (PS), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said search and rescue was ongoing.

    He said the agency activated the emergency response plan as soon as it received a distress call about the incident.

    Police spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin also confirmed that 14 persons had been rescued, adding that the Commissioner Olohundare Moshood Jimoh had ordered the deployment of operatives to the scene to provide security for the rescue.

  • Five die, five rescued in Lagos building collapse

    Five die, five rescued in Lagos building collapse

    Five persons died yesterday when a building collapsed in Lagos. But five others were rescued from the rubble.

    The building at No 13, Wilson Mba St, Arowojobe Estate, Mende, Maryland collapsed at 3:49am. Emergency workers moved to the scene immediately, launching a search and rescue.

    Rescue teams, including local firefighters, medical personnel, and volunteers, worked to locate and extract survivors. Three of the rescued persons were taken to Gbagada General Hospital while the others to nearby hospitals for treatment.

    Head of the Search and Rescue Unit, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Territorial Office,  Mrs Ibitayo Aderonke, told The Nation: “All the men were site workers. They received pre-hospital care on location before being transported to the hospital while the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) was contacted for the remains of the five fatalities.”

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    Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the ongoing nature of the rescue operations. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event,” she stated.

    A friend of six of the victims, Adewale Ayuba, said:  “We came from Ibadan yesterday (Wednesday) to work on this site. It has been a long time since we saw each other. We started eating together, talking till 10 yesterday night.”

    Though the cause of the collapse is yet to be known,  initial reports suggest structural weaknesses. A resident on the street, Mrs Yusuf Jumoke, advised the government to conduct an integrity test on buildings to reduce the problem of building collapse. She said she got to know about the collapse when her neighbour screamed as she was sleeping as at the time of the incident.

  • Eight injured in Lagos building collapse

    Eight injured in Lagos building collapse

    By Sofiyyah Abubakar and Sherifdeen Amusa

    Eight persons were rescued after a two-storey building at 12, Cameroon Street, Mushin, Lagos collapsed yesterday morning.

    The Nation gathered at the scene of the collapsed building that seven of them were rushed to hospital. The remaining one was still at the scene of the incident at press time.

    Neighbours said the building was erected two years ago.

    According to them, the child that was feared dead was alive and being treated in hospital.

    Some of the residents at Cameroon Street said there were impending signs of the collapse and complaints were made to the owner of the building.

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    Some people claimed that the house was not built to standard because the foundation was not strong enough.

    “It was not surprising that the building came down since there were obvious signs that it is not fit for habitation,” a neighbor said.

    Some buildings beside the collapsed building were slightly affected.

    Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that the collapsed two-storey building was new.

    Its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the building collapsed on an adjoining bungalow as a result of sub-standard materials used in the construction.

    He said: “The collapsed building has been marked for structural and integrity testing by Lagos State Building Control Agency and Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory. Responders at the scene of the incident included LASEMA response team alongside LRU Fire unit, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS, Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and police,” he said.

  • Two injured in another Lagos building collapse

    Two persons on Monday sustained varying injuries after another three-storey building collapsed in Lagos Island.

    The incident which happened on 50 Kakawa Street, has brought to four the number of buildings that had collapsed in the area since the March 13 disaster that killed no fewer than 18 persons on Massey Street, Itafaaji, while the state government has pulled down 17 defective structures within the same period.

    It was gathered that latest collapsed building had been marked for demolition for a long time but officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) did nothing to pull it down until it caved on Monday afternoon.

    Those who sustained injuries, The Nation gathered, were residents of a nearby building the collapsed structure fell on, while another three-storey building situated on 47/49 Odunlami Street, directly behind the collapsed one was also affected.

    Fatimah’s father, Lawal Ahmed, an Islamic cleric said she was returning from the toilet when the three-storey building collapsed on theirs.

    “When the incident happened at about 12: 50pm, majority of us (tenants) in 50A Kakawa street were outside, trying to assist a shop owner at the down floor of the collapsed building. We all took to our heels but I immediately returned back when I remembered that my daughter was inside.

    “With the help of other people around, we were able to rescue my daughter, Fatimah and Alaba Audio, a 21-year-old son of my neighbour. My daughter was taken to Fehintola Private hospital at Bamgbose Street, while Alaba was taken to the General Hospital for medical attention,” he said.

    An aunt to Alaba, Abiola Adio, said he was sleeping in their room when the high rise building fell on him, adding that both victims were responding to treatment at the hospital.

    Narrating how the building collapsed, the woman said it happened few hours after the last occupant (one of the owners) vacated the premises.

    She said: “This building that collapsed today has been marked for a very long time. I thought they were going to demolish it today (Monday) due to late movement of the owners of the house. One of the owner’s son lived there and only moved out on Sunday. It was this morning that he removed his belongings only for the building to collapse few hours later.

    “It is sad that the government did not demolish this building after several markings until it fell and affected ours. If they had demolished it, the structure would not have fallen and injured our children.

    “They were asleep when the building collapsed and fell on them. It happened around 1pm. We are just thanking God that it did not happen in the evening or on a Sunday because more people would have been affected. There are a lot of children in this compound and they had gone to school when it happened.”

    According to the woman, the state government should rein in LABSCA and discipline agents who were fond of collecting bribes from owners, residents of defective buildings instead of doing the right things.

    “Government should kindly help us. Some of the government officials who come around to check buildings end up collecting bribes from owners of these buildings that are due for demolition.

    “When they collect bribe, they just go and write opposite report of what they saw and that is why we have been facing this issue of building collapse in this area. It is not helping us, people are dying,” she lamented.

    At the time our Correspondent visited the scene, the General Manager Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Adesina Tiamiyu, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) policemen, fire service officials and LABSCA agents were at the scene preparatory to level the collapsed building as well as the one it affected.

    People were seen assisting a shop owner remove his wares from the building, while state officials awaiting a tow-truck to remove vehicles parked on the street that were obstructing the movement of the excavator to the scene.
    The shop owner Muritala Ageshin said he was thankful the building did not collapse on himself and his yoinger brother who were packing out their wares.

    “My brother and I were inside the shop, packing out our belongings because government officials came last Friday and gave all tenants in the building quit notice with instruction that they are coming back today to demolish it.