During a heavy downpour, a three-story building collapsed at Ita Faaji Market in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State, as confirmed by Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). The collapse occurred around 10:15 am on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Upon arrival at the scene, LASEMA conducted a thorough assessment and determined that the building collapsed on its own without external factors. Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the access street was narrow, posing challenges for heavy-duty vehicular operations.
As a precautionary measure, Oke-Osanyintolu recommended that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) should manually demolish the remaining pillars of the collapsed structure. The manual clearance operation, coordinated by the LASEMA Lekki branch, aims to remove debris from the construction site to clear the road.
He emphasized the importance of public safety and urged members of the public to stay away from the incident scene.
Meanwhile, Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that the building was undergoing renovation before its collapse. Fortunately, the construction workers escaped unharmed.
Adeseye stated that personnel from Ebute Elefun Fire Station and other state emergency responders were deployed to the scene. Although the cause of the collapse remains unknown, recovery operations have been completed.
