In the early hours of Thursday, a building collapse at number 13 Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos State, resulted in the deaths of three people with several others hospitalised.
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident. He stated that the collapse occurred at No. 13 Wilson Mba Street, where a set of three terraces were under construction.
According to Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA received a distress call about the collapse at approximately 3:49 a.m. The agency’s response team was promptly activated and arrived at the scene by 3:58 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered the collapsed structures and immediately commenced search and rescue operations.
The operation led to the recovery of three adult males who were unfortunately found dead under the rubble. Additionally, two other male adults were rescued alive, while one more was found trapped but was successfully extracted. All six men were identified as site workers.
Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu detailed the efforts of LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire Service in rescuing the survivors. “They are receiving pre-hospital care on location,” he said, noting that the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit has been informed to handle the remains of the deceased.
The response operation at the scene was a collaborative effort involving agency personnel, the fire service, and the Nigeria Police. An excavator from LASEMA was also deployed to expedite the search and rescue process.
