10 rescued as five-storey building collapses in Lagos

Ten individuals have so far been rescued with varying degrees of injuries from a five-storey building that collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday morning.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service made the disclosure in a statement sent to SunOnline.

It was learnt that the building caved in some minutes before 12 noon at Old Ojo Road, by Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Satellite Town.

The incident was said to have sent residents of the area into panic, as many scampered for safety.

While several residents were feared trapped inside the rubble, witnesses said policemen from the Area E Command and Satellite Division quickly mobilised to the scene and joined rescue operatives.

Controller General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye said the service received a distress call at 11:37 am regarding a building collapse incident at the scene.

She said emergency responders from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station were immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene at 11:49 am.

“The incident involves the collapse of a storey building, an existing residential structure occupied by multiple residents at the time of the incident.

“As of the time of this report, 10 persons have been rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and have been handed over to medical personnel for necessary treatment,” the statement reads in part.

Adeseye added that search and rescue operations remain ongoing as emergency responders continue efforts to locate, extricate, and evacuate any persons who may still be trapped beneath the debris.

The fire service boss identified agencies currently participating in the coordinated rescue operation as Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Navy, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and Nigerian Red Cross Society.