BY CHINYERE OBIORA – Tragedy struck in Lagos when a three-storey building located in the Alakija axis, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, collapsed on Thursday, killing four persons and leaving an unspecified number trapped beneath the rubble.
This is as available information indicated that emergency responders rescued no fewer than 20 victims from the scene of the unfortunate incident which threw the entire area into panic mode.
Reports said the unexpected incident sent shock waves through the community, drawing anxious residents and passers-by to the scene amid fears of potential casualties and further structural collapse.
An eyewitness account said the building suddenly collapsed at about 11:40 a.m. on Old Ojo Road, near Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASMA) and other emergency response agencies.
Confirming the development in a statement, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing as responders worked to locate and extricate victims trapped in the collapsed structure.
According to the agency, the survivors were rescued through the combined efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the China Railway Construction Corporation Construction Company (CRCCCC).
While also confirming the recovery of four bodies from the collapsed structure, the emergency management agency said there were indications that more people could still be trapped under the rubble, noting that some shop owners had resumed business activities in the building before the collapse.
The statement further said: “There are reports that additional persons, including shop owners who had resumed business, may still be trapped. Search and rescue operations remain active”, adding that to support ongoing rescue efforts, heavy-duty equipment had been deployed to the site.
“Heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, is being deployed to support rescue efforts,” LASEMA said even as it urged residents to stay away from the scene to allow emergency personnel unhindered access to carry out rescue operations
As of press time, the number of casualties could not be ascertained, as information emerged that there are many victims who are still being trapped under the rubble.
