One person has been confirmed dead following the collapse of a three-storey building at 10 Oremeta Street, Ojodu, Lagos, while 12 others have been rescued from the debris.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the fatality in an interim report obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, noting that the cause of the building collapse has yet to be ascertained.
According to the report, the agency received distress alerts at 08:32 hours that a 3-storey building housing a restaurant had collapsed. “Emergency workers were immediately mobilized and deployed. Twelve victims have been rescued so far, with one adult confirmed dead.”
The report stated that the collapsed building, which housed the Equal Right Restaurant, trapped several people inside, triggering concern among residents of Oremeta Street in the Ojodu area of the state.
The victims included restaurant workers, customers, and a family who were present at the scene when the building collapsed.
Emergency response teams, including the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, and Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, were seen at the scene conducting rescue operations.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, told journalists that five persons had been rescued alive as of the time of this report.
“We are approaching the situation systematically, using heavy-duty and light-duty equipment to get to ground zero.
“We have credible information that more people are still under the rubble, so we are moving from one layer to the next, carefully checking for any survivors before proceeding,” he had said.
