The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has commenced a search and rescue operation following the collapse of a storey building during manual demolition at Adedoyin Street, Ijegun, Ikotun, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Monday, after the agency received a distress call at about 1:44 p.m.
In a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA said its Beta Team from the Igando Base was immediately deployed to the scene.
Preliminary findings indicated that the building collapsed while workers were manually dismantling the structure, leaving one worker trapped beneath the rubble.
Another worker reportedly sustained a hand injury and had been taken to a hospital before the arrival of the agency’s response team.
LASEMA said its personnel, working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), had commenced a coordinated search and rescue operation.
The agency added that the affected area had been cordoned off to prevent further hazards, while the rescue operation remained ongoing as of the time of the statement.
The Lagos State Government also pledged to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether relevant building control regulations had been observed.
Meanwhile, LASEMA reported that its response teams had successfully managed three other incidents involving road traffic accidents, a gas tanker and a truck obstructing railway movement.
At Iyana Oworo, along the outward section of the Third Mainland Bridge, the agency’s Tiger Team from C3 Base responded to an accident involving a Lexus Jeep with registration number BDG-404 KA.
The incident, reported at about 1:30 a.m., involved a vehicle that somersaulted after the driver reportedly lost control.
One adult male sustained injuries and was taken to a hospital before the response team arrived. No fatality was recorded.
LASEMA said its personnel secured the scene, managed traffic and arranged for the damaged vehicle to be moved to a lay-by with the assistance of a private towing service. The operation was subsequently concluded, restoring normal traffic movement along the corridor.
In another incident, an empty gas tanker truck with registration number T30015 LA reportedly suffered brake failure while ascending Paramount Road near Okeabata Junction in Epe.
The truck veered into the road median and obstructed approximately 97 per cent of the roadway.
According to LASEMA, no casualties were recorded in the incident. Its Whales Team from Epe Base, working with personnel from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service’s Okeoso Station, secured the scene and arranged for the truck’s recovery.
At Arena, Oshodi, a goods-laden truck broke down on a railway track following a mechanical failure involving its propeller, obstructing train movement.
LASEMA’s Beta Eagle Team from Cappa Base, alongside the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and soldiers, diverted traffic while awaiting the agency’s heavy-duty recovery equipment.
The truck was eventually evacuated from the railway track to a safe lay-by using LASEMA’s Super Metro equipment, allowing both road and rail movements to resume.
Following the incidents, the Lagos State Government urged property owners, developers and contractors to comply strictly with building regulations and engage certified professionals for demolition and construction projects.
The government also advised motorists to avoid reckless driving and ensure regular vehicle maintenance to reduce preventable road accidents.
It commended LASEMA and other emergency responders for their interventions, reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives and property through coordinated emergency management.
Residents were encouraged to report emergencies through Lagos State’s toll-free emergency numbers, 767 and 112.
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