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Sixteen people were rescued alive on Thursday after a storey building collapsed in Satellite Town, Lagos, triggering a large-scale emergency response and an ongoing search for possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The incident occurred on Old Ojo Road, near Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it had received a distress call at about 11:37 am and immediately dispatched emergency personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station to the scene.
Firefighters arrived within minutes and commenced rescue operations at the site of the collapsed structure, which was reportedly occupied by several residents at the time of the incident.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, confirmed that 16 occupants had been pulled alive from the debris.
“The rescued victims sustained varying degrees of injuries and were handed over to medical personnel for treatment”, she said.
Adeseye stated that rescue operations were still ongoing as emergency workers continued to search the wreckage for other occupants who might remain trapped.
The operation had drawn support from multiple emergency and security agencies, including the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Rescue teams had cordoned off the area to facilitate unhindered operations, while heavy equipment and specialised personnel continued efforts to reach parts of the building that remained inaccessible.
Authorities were yet to determine the cause of the collapse. However, officials said investigations would commence once rescue operations were completed.
The incident had once again raised concerns over building safety and structural integrity in Lagos, where cases of building collapse remained a recurring challenge despite regulatory measures aimed at preventing such disasters.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service assured residents that updates would be provided as the operation progressed and more information became available.
