The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the deaths of two persons, while 20 others were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed on Monday at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State.
NEMA provided the update in a statement on its official X handle on Tuesday, noting that its Lagos Operations Office led a multi-agency rescue mission following distress alerts. Emergency personnel, working alongside the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other response teams, were deployed to the site with extrication equipment.
“Upon arrival, emergency teams discovered several occupants trapped beneath the debris. After several hours of intensive operations, 20 persons were rescued alive, while those with injuries were promptly evacuated to nearby hospitals for treatment. Sadly, two fatalities were confirmed,” the agency stated.
The agency further disclosed that all occupants were accounted for at the end of the operation, which was supervised by the Nigeria Police Force to ensure security and crowd control.
According to NEMA, preliminary investigations revealed that the building had been marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), but occupants reportedly ignored evacuation directives.
Correspondent who visited the scene on Monday reported that several residents had long been aware that the structure was in distress.
One trader, Mrs. Adaeze, said her goods worth millions of naira were trapped in the rubble. “The government had been giving us notice to leave because the building was distressed, but the owner was not cooperating,” she said, appealing for government support to recover from her losses.
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, said the incident occurred shortly after a heavy midnight rainfall. “We were alerted by the cries of people trapped under the debris. The building had visible cracks for months, but people continued to live there,” he recounted.
NEMA commended the swift intervention of all response agencies and reiterated the need for residents to comply with official safety and evacuation notices to prevent avoidable tragedies.
