One dead, two rescued after Lagos building collapses during demolition
One man died and two others were rescued after a two-storey building undergoing manual demolition collapsed in Aboru, Lagos.
The incident occurred at 42 Governors Road, Aboru, in Alimosho Local Government Area, shortly after midnight on Thursday, September 10.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said its Alpha Eagle Response Team was dispatched from its Cappa, Oshodi base at about 12:56 a.m. after receiving a distress call.
LASEMA said preliminary findings showed that workers were carrying out manual demolition when part of the structure collapsed, trapping people under the debris.
Emergency responders from LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service joined the search-and-rescue operation.
Two adult men were pulled out alive, given first aid and taken to a nearby health facility for further treatment.
One adult male was recovered dead beneath the collapsed structure.
What investigators still need to establish
The available evidence establishes that demolition work was underway when the structure partially collapsed.
What remains unresolved is whether the demolition had the required approval or notification, who was responsible for supervising the work, what safety measures were in place and whether certified professionals were engaged.
Those are verification questions, not established findings.
Current reporting does not establish that the demolition was illegal, that regulators failed to act or that negligence caused the collapse.
Any stronger conclusion would require documentary evidence from the relevant building-control authorities, records identifying those responsible for the site and evidence about the method and supervision of the demolition.
LASEMA urges compliance with building rules
LASEMA Permanent Secretary Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu urged developers and members of the public to comply with building regulations and engage certified professionals for demolition and construction activities.
He also asked residents to report unsafe building activity through Lagos emergency lines 767 and 112.
For the Aboru incident, the immediate rescue outcome is established: two men survived and one man died.
The next accountability check is whether the demolition was properly authorised and supervised, and whether investigators identify any safety breach that contributed to the collapse.
