Search and rescue efforts at the scene of the collapsed two-storey building near Alakija Bus Stop in Satellite Town have officially ended, leaving a grim toll of nine fatalities while 27 survivors were pulled from the rubble alive.
The tragedy unfolded around 12:47 p.m. on Thursday in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, triggering a massive emergency response coordinated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
In a statement released on Friday by its Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, the agency said emergency teams were mobilised immediately after receiving reports of the collapse.
According to LASEMA, its Sharks Response Team from the Lekki Base and the Alpha Cobra Squad from Onipanu reached the disaster scene within 40 minutes, working alongside multiple emergency agencies to begin rescue operations.
The coordinated operation involved the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Red Cross and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The agency disclosed that all 27 rescued victims were stabilised with immediate pre-hospital care by LASAMBUS before being transported to nearby medical facilities for further treatment.
LASEMA stated that the death toll comprised four adults who had already died before emergency responders arrived, while five more victims, including a two-year-old girl, were recovered during the painstaking rescue exercise.
The remains, it added, have been handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for proper identification and eventual release to their families.
To accelerate the operation, LASEMA deployed a heavy-duty excavator which worked alongside two excavators provided by CCECC, allowing rescue workers to safely reach those trapped beneath the debris.
The agency said responders finally reached ground zero, bringing the operation to a close at about 4:00 a.m. on Friday.
It added that the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, as well as the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, supervised and provided strategic oversight throughout the emergency operation.
LASEMA further revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed LASBCA to immediately inspect neighbouring structures to determine their structural integrity and ensure strict compliance with existing building regulations.
While extending condolences to the bereaved families, the agency wished those receiving treatment a speedy recovery.
It also urged residents to promptly report distressed or unsafe buildings to LASBCA or through LASEMA’s toll-free emergency numbers, 112 and 767, as part of efforts to prevent future building disasters.
