A distressing incident unfolded today around 9:30 am in Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute Metta, Lagos, as a two-storey building collapsed, trapping at least one woman inside and a baby.
Reports say that the trapped woman was an illegal occupant, despite repeated evacuation notices served by the Lagos Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
According to Ibrahim Farinloye, the Territorial Head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lagos, the collapsed building had been the subject of evacuation warnings, leading to the departure of its original occupants.
It was believed the property changed hands roughly four months ago.
Farinloye stated, “Three occupants managed to escape by leaping to safety with the help of nearby residents. However, it’s suspected that one woman remains trapped inside. There might be two more individuals involved, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
Emergency services are currently engaged in a search and rescue operation at the site, striving to free the woman trapped under the rubble.