One person have been injured after two adjacent buildings – one four-storey and the other two-storey, both situated on Oduntan Street, Ketu area of Lagos collapsed.
The four-storey building had already shown signs of instability the previous evening, eventually giving way on the following Sunday afternoon. This collapse also caused damage to another structure within the same compound, worsening the situation.
This unfortunate event sent shockwaves throughout the neighbourhood, prompting immediate evacuations of the hundreds of families and individuals residing in these buildings. The fear of further structural failures led to the swift abandonment of the premises, prioritising safety above all else.
Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed this distressing development. According to him, upon arrival at the scene, the LASEMA responders found both the two-storey and four-storey buildings collapsed at the specified address.
Investigations conducted by the LASEMA Response Team suggested that the collapse could be attributed to the combined effects of ageing and inadequate maintenance, which had significantly weakened the structural integrity of these buildings.
Further examination revealed that the collapse was worsened by the failure of the building’s staircase, a critical component of their stability. The most unfortunate consequence of this tragic event was the injury sustained by a male adult who fell from the topmost floor due to the impact of the collapse. Fortunately, the injured individual has been promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.
In response to this, authorities have taken decisive action to ensure the safety of the community. Residents of the affected building have been instructed to evacuate under the supervision of a combined team comprising LASEMA, RRS, LABSCA, and LNSC, aiming to prevent any potential secondary incidents that may arise.
Furthermore, considering the precarious state of the collapsed building and its inability to pass structural integrity tests, as confirmed by a LABSCA official at the scene, it has been deemed necessary to demolish the structure. This decision has been made in the interest of public safety and to prevent any further threats to nearby buildings and the community.
As of the time of this report, multiple response teams, including paramedics, RRS, LABSCA, and LNSC, are working diligently at the incident scene, coordinating their efforts to mitigate the situation and ensure the safety and well-being of the affected residents.