…Rescuers search for more victims as construction workers are feared trapped beneath rubble in Fadeyi

Three construction workers were rescued alive while one person was recovered dead after a two-storey building under construction collapsed at Akinola Street, near Fadeyi Bus Stop, off Ikorodu Road, Lagos, in the early hours of Friday.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said search and rescue operations were ongoing to determine whether more workers remained trapped beneath the rubble.

The collapse occurred shortly after midnight, prompting an emergency response following a distress call received by the agency at 12:10am. LASEMA’s Cobra Response Team, deployed from its Onipanu Base, arrived at the scene two minutes later and discovered that the building had caved in, with construction workers suspected to be trapped beneath the debris.

Rescue efforts intensified after responders heard groaning sounds from beneath the collapsed structure, suggesting that some victims were still alive.
The agency deployed an excavator to assist the search and rescue operation, taking safety precautions to protect both the victims and emergency personnel.

As of 3:33am, three adult men had been pulled out alive, while the body of another adult male had been recovered from the debris.
The rescued men received immediate pre-hospital treatment from LASEMA’s paramedics and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being transferred to a hospital for further medical attention.

LASEMA said the cause of the collapse had yet to be established and would be investigated by the relevant regulatory authorities.
The operation was coordinated by the agency’s Director of Operations, Engr Akintunde Akinsanya and the Head of Cappa Base, Engr Olayinka Salami, who were at the scene to supervise the response.

Other agencies involved in the rescue included the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Alagbon Division.

The Lagos State Government commiserated with the family of the deceased and wished the survivors a speedy recovery. It also reiterated its commitment to tackling substandard construction and strengthening building monitoring and enforcement in collaboration with the Lagos State Building Control Agency.

In a separate incident, LASEMA’s Tiger Response Team responded to a truck breakdown on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Adeniji, on Thursday.

The truck, which was conveying sofas, became immobilised by a mechanical fault, obstructing traffic.

The agency deployed its heavy-duty recovery equipment, Super Metro, but technical difficulties prevented the immediate removal of the vehicle.

The truck was eventually repaired at the scene and driven away, allowing the affected section of the bridge to be cleared and reopened to traffic.

LASEMA urged residents to report emergencies through the toll-free numbers 767 and 112, assuring the public that its response teams remained on alert across the state.