Pius Nsabe
A Storey building located at Idi-Araba in the Mushin area of Lagos State collapsed on Sunday trapping an unspecified number of people beneath the debris.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Shakiru Amodu, said one person had been rescued while efforts were ongoing to reach others still trapped.
“A male adult has been rescued while efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims trapped under the rubble,” he said.
Amodu added that the building was under construction and at one storey level before the incident occurred.
The incident, which occurred opposite Idi Araba Central Mosque at about 3:40 p.m., sent shockwaves through the densely populated neighbourhood, as terrified residents and passersby rushed to the scene, desperately trying to save those buried alive.
Also confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said, “We received distress alerts around 15:40 hours and immediately activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from our Cappa base.”
“Upon arrival at 15:56 hours, it was confirmed that a storey building undergoing construction had collapsed with several individuals trapped under the debris,” he stated.
“One victim has been rescued. Thankfully, no fatalities have been recorded at the time of this report,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but experts on site suggest possible structural failure, poor engineering practices, or substandard materials might be to blame.
