NEMA confirms two dead and 20 rescued after a two-storey building collapses in Oyingbo, Lagos. Structure was marked for demolition but evacuation was ignored.
OyingboBuildingCollapse has left residents of Lagos State in mourning after a two-storey building collapsed at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop in the Oyingbo area, killing two persons and leaving 20 others rescued alive.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement released on its X handle on Tuesday, detailing the coordinated rescue efforts and the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
NEMA Confirms Fatalities and Rescue Efforts
According to NEMA, its Lagos Operations Office led a multi-agency response to distress alerts, deploying rescue personnel and extrication equipment to the scene in collaboration with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other emergency services.
Following the conclusion of the operation, NEMA confirmed that all occupants were accounted for, and the search and rescue mission was officially concluded.
Building Marked for Demolition
Preliminary investigations revealed that the collapsed structure had been previously marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA). However, occupants allegedly ignored evacuation directives prior to the incident.
Eyewitness Accounts
Residents who spoke at the scene confirmed that the building had shown visible signs of distress before it collapsed.
A shop owner, Mrs. Adaeze, said she lost goods worth millions of naira in the incident.
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, said the collapse occurred shortly after a midnight rainfall, adding that residents were alerted by the wailing of trapped occupants.
NEMA Urges Compliance with Safety Directives
NEMA commended the professionalism and swift intervention of all responding agencies and reiterated the need for residents to comply with official safety and evacuation notices to prevent future tragedies.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to public safety, emphasizing that non-compliance with structural warnings continues to pose a major risk in urban areas like Lagos.
