The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has confirmed that one person died and 26 others were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed at Coast Street in the Oyingbo area of Lagos in the early hours of Monday.
Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, said the agency received a distress call at 12:11 a.m. and immediately deployed emergency responders to the site.
“Under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, all emergency responders, including the Local Emergency Management Committee, swiftly mobilised to the scene,” he said.
According to him, 21 victims were taken to various general hospitals and are receiving free treatment in line with the state’s policy for emergency victims. Five others were treated on-site by the LASEMA ambulance team and discharged.
He confirmed that one fatality had been recorded and the deceased’s body moved to a mortuary. Rescue operations are ongoing.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the site had been divided into four quadrants to ensure a safe and efficient rescue process. Light-duty equipment is being used in inner sections to prevent further harm, while heavy-duty machinery is being deployed at the outer areas.
“We are proceeding strategically and steadily to ground zero,” he said, emphasising that the operation is being executed with caution to avoid additional casualties.
He assured the public that the situation is under control. “We are on top of the challenges and moving methodically,” he added.
Mr Mohammed Olatunde, Head of Operations at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lagos, confirmed that both federal and state emergency teams were working in close coordination.
“Resources have been fully deployed, and rescue efforts are ongoing in collaboration with LASEMA and other stakeholders,” he said.
Olatunde appealed for calm from residents and relatives of victims and said NEMA would provide relief materials to displaced persons once rescue operations conclude.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LASEMA, NEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service, police and other first responders remain at the scene clearing debris and ensuring public safety.
