A total of three persons lost their lives and seven persons with various degrees of injuries were rescued at the building collapse incident at Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos. Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday in Lagos“Following an extensive exercise, the final casualty report on the above incident is that there were 3 fatalities and 7 casualties varying in severity.“The affected buildings have been leveled to ground zero,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He listed emergency responders at the scene of the incident to include the agency’s response team led by the Permanent Secretary, LRU Fire unit, and Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
Men of the Nigerian Police, Fire and Rescue Service, and Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were on the ground at Maheenat Mosque to rescue the victims.
According to an eyewitness, the mosque collapsed when the Muslim worshippers were observing Ashir. A middle-aged man revealed that the incident occurred when the driver of an excavator working very close to the mosque unknowingly hit the foundation of the holy house and brought down the one-story edifice.
Efforts were ongoing to bring out trapped individuals from the rubble. But, a girl of about 10 years old was brought out dead.
One of the survivors, Adeniji Muniru, said: “We were almost at the end of the solat, when we heard a very loud sound. Before we could do anything, the building came down on us and everyone ran for safety. About 30 of us escaped from the rubble while others were still trapped.
“A 10-year-old girl was brought out dead. I thank God for his love. I just had a minor fracture on my leg. It was divine intervention.”
The Public Relations Officer of LASEMA, Nosa Okunbor, added: “Our men are on ground. Rescue mission is ongoing. That’s all I can say for now.”