The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.
The statement, signed by LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the building collapsed at about midnight at No. 42 Governors Road, Aboru, in the Alimosho area of the state.
Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA’s Alpha Eagle Response Team was dispatched from the Cappa, Oshodi Response Unit at 12:56 a.m. following a distress call.
He said the team arrived at the scene within the projected response time and discovered workers trapped beneath the rubble.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the building was being manually demolished when the collapse occurred,” he said.
According to him, LASEMA activated the state’s Emergency Response Plan and took charge of the incident, coordinating a multi-agency rescue operation.
Two adult males were rescued alive from the debris, while personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) administered first aid before transporting them to a nearby health facility for further treatment.
Oke-Osanyintolu added that one adult male was recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure.
The rescue operation is being jointly carried out by LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and LASAMBUS.
He said the area had been cordoned off to protect residents and allow emergency responders to operate without obstruction, while community leaders and security agencies were also assisting with the operation.
The Permanent Secretary expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
He urged residents and developers to comply with building regulations and engage only certified professionals for demolition and construction work.
He also advised residents to report suspicious or unsafe building activities through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency numbers.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the Lagos State Government would continue to strengthen emergency response through capacity building, improved equipment and the decentralisation of response units.
