The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that two people died and 20 others were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed on Monday at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State.
NEMA provided the update on its X handle on Tuesday, stating that its Lagos Operations Office led a multi-agency response following distress alerts.
Rescue personnel and extrication equipment were immediately deployed in coordination with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other emergency services.
“Upon arrival, emergency teams discovered several occupants trapped beneath the debris. After several hours of intensive operations, 20 persons were rescued alive, while those with injuries were promptly evacuated to nearby hospitals for treatment. Sadly, two fatalities were confirmed,” the agency said.
Following the conclusion of the operation, NEMA added: “All occupants were accounted for, and the search and rescue mission was officially concluded. The site has since been cleared under the supervision of the Nigeria Police Force, which also maintained security and crowd control throughout the exercise.”
Preliminary assessments revealed that the collapsed structure had been previously marked for demolition, but occupants reportedly ignored evacuation directives.
“Preliminary assessment revealed that the collapsed structure had been previously marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, but occupants reportedly ignored the evacuation directive,” NEMA stated.
Residents at the scene recounted the incident. Mrs Adaeze, a shop owner, said some residents were aware of the building’s distressed state.
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“I was called in the middle of the night that the building had collapsed, and I had to rush down here. When I got here, I saw that my goods, worth millions of naira, were trapped under the building. Some of them have been destroyed. The government had been giving us notice to leave the place because the building is distressed, but the owner has not been cooperating,” she said, appealing for government support.
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, noted that the collapse occurred after a midnight rainfall and that residents were alerted by the wailing of those trapped under the debris.
“I was awake and not far from this place when some others and I, who were together, learnt that a building had collapsed. It was immediately after the rain stopped around 1 a.m. When we got here, we heard the wailing of people and began to rescue them before the emergency responders came. It is true that the building was in distress.
When you passed around the building, you would see signs of visible cracks that would make you wonder why they were still living there,” he said.
NEMA commended the professionalism and swift response of all agencies involved and reiterated the importance of complying with official safety and evacuation notices to prevent avoidable loss of lives.