Three construction workers have been rescued while one person was recovered dead after a two-storey building under construction collapsed at Fadeyi, Lagos.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday at Akinola Street, by Fadeyi Bus Stop, off Ikorodu Road.
In a statement by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency said it received a distress call at 12:10am and deployed its Cobra Response Team from Onipanu Base.
The team arrived at the scene two minutes later and discovered that construction workers might be trapped beneath the rubble.
LASEMA said search and rescue operations began immediately, with safety measures put in place to protect the victims and emergency responders.
It added that groaning sounds were heard beneath the collapsed structure during the operation, prompting the deployment of an excavator to aid the rescue effort.
‘As at 3:33am, three adult males have been rescued alive while one adult male was recovered deceased,’ the statement said.
The agency said its paramedics and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) provided immediate pre-hospital care to the rescued victims before they were taken to hospital.
It added that search and rescue operations were ongoing to determine whether more people were trapped beneath the debris.
The operation was coordinated by the Director of Operations, Engr. Akinsanya, and the Head of Cappa Base, Engr. Salami.
Other agencies involved included the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASEMA Response Team, LRU paramedics, LASAMBUS and the police from Alagbon Division.
The cause of the collapse had yet to be established, as relevant regulatory agencies were expected to investigate the incident.
The Lagos State Government commiserated with the family of the deceased and wished the rescued victims a quick recovery.
It reiterated its commitment to tackling substandard construction and strengthening monitoring and enforcement in collaboration with the Lagos State Building Control Agency to prevent future incidents.
In a related development, LASEMA said its Tiger Response Team responded to a truck breakdown on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Adeniji, yesterday.
The truck, with registration number RBC-556XC, was conveying sofas when a mechanical fault immobilised it, obstructing traffic.
The agency said it deployed its Super Metro heavy-duty equipment to recover the vehicle but encountered technical challenges.
The truck was eventually repaired on the spot and driven away, allowing the road to be cleared and reopened to traffic.
LASEMA urged residents to report emergencies through its toll-free lines, 767 and 112.