The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has concluded search, rescue and recovery operations at the site of the collapsed two-storey building at Alakija Bus Stop in Satellite Town, confirming that 27 people were rescued alive while nine others lost their lives.
The building collapsed at about 12:47 p.m. on Thursday in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, prompting an immediate emergency response from multiple government agencies.
In a statement issued on Friday, LASEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Afolabi Olawale, said the agency swiftly activated its emergency teams, deploying its Sharks Response Team from Lekki Base and the Alpha Cobra Squad from Onipanu to the scene.
According to him, the first responders arrived within 40 minutes alongside other emergency agencies that joined the rescue effort.
The coordinated operation involved the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Red Cross and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
LASEMA disclosed that all 27 survivors received immediate medical attention from LASAMBUS personnel before they were transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
The agency confirmed that nine people died in the incident. Four of the victims were certified dead before emergency officials arrived at the scene, while five additional bodies, including that of a two-year-old girl, were recovered during the rescue operation.
According to the agency, the remains of the deceased were handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for proper identification before being released to their respective families.
LASEMA also explained that rescue operations were aided by heavy-duty excavation equipment. The agency deployed one excavator, which complemented two others provided by CCECC, allowing emergency workers to safely remove debris and reach trapped victims.
Search and recovery operations eventually ended at about 4:00 a.m. on Friday after rescue teams successfully reached ground zero and confirmed that no additional victims remained trapped beneath the rubble.
The agency noted that the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, provided strategic supervision throughout the emergency operation.
Following the incident, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency to immediately carry out structural integrity assessments on adjoining buildings within the area and ensure strict compliance with existing building regulations.
LASEMA extended its condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
The agency also urged residents to promptly report distressed or unsafe buildings to LASBCA or through LASEMA’s toll-free emergency lines, 112 and 767, to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
