Scores Trapped In Lagos Building Collapse

Residents of Oriwu Street in the Lekki Phase 1 region of Lagos State were thrown into confusion on Wednesday following the collapse of a structure that was being built.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that the structure’s collapse resulted in several individuals being trapped beneath the debris.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, reported that the incident occurred around 4 PM on Wednesday.

Hundeyin further noted that 14 individuals have been successfully rescued from the debris and transported to a medical facility for treatment.

He wrote, “Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have been mobilised to the scene of the collapse of a building under construction at Oriwu Street, Lekki Phase 1 which occurred at about 1600hrs today.

“A total of 14 persons have so far been rescued and taken to Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment.

“Meanwhile, operatives of the Command remain on ground to provide security for the ongoing rescue operation.”

However, a separate report by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed that six persons sustained varying degrees of injury and were rescued by the agencies.

LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the incident, stated that investigations were ongoing to unravel the cause of the collapse.

“So far, two adult males have been extricated from the rubble of the collapsed building. Six seriously injured adult males were rescued and were administered immediate medical care by the LRU Pre-Hospital Care Unit, before being transported to Marina General Hospital for further treatment.

“LASEMA Response Team has commenced search and rescue operation. LRT is coordinating other common stakeholders for effective response at the incident scene. The teams have rescued six victims and extricated two dead bodies,” he added.

He stated further that search and rescue operation was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.