The death toll from the collapse of the three-storey building on Oremeta Street in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos State has risen to five.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that 15 people have so far been rescued.
The building housing a local restaurant collapsed at about 8 am on Saturday, leaving an unspecified number of people trapped beneath the rubble.
It was learnt that the building had been under construction.
The resident said that no sooner had some of the workers at the restaurant arrived than it caved in.
However, the South-West Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, said three bodies, comprising three females and two males, were recovered from the debris at 1:56 am on Sunday.
Farinloye said, “A total of 20 victims were rescued, while six adult females and nine adult males were rescued alive.
“Unfortunately, five bodies, which comprise three females and two adult males, were recovered. Rescue operation is ongoing.”
Similarly, in a statement on its X handle titled, ‘NEMA RESPONDS TO BUILDING COLLAPSE IN OJODU, LAGOS,’ the agency said rescue efforts continued in the early hours of Sunday.
“NEMA, in collaboration with other emergency response agencies and local volunteers, immediately launched a search and rescue operation using both light and heavy-duty equipment.
“Rescue efforts continued into the early hours of Sunday, April 20, 2025, resulting in the rescue of 15 individuals and the recovery of 5 bodies, bringing the total number of persons accounted for to 20. After a brief two-hour pause, operations resumed following reports that one person may still be missing,” the statement read in part.
Earlier, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the emergency responders on the ground would “get to ground zero” for other victims still trapped under the rubble.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, in an interview, said, “We’re working with all the local people; we’re working with all the primary responders and we’re on top of the situation.
“By the time we get to ground zero, we’ll see everything that is in there and we’re going to give a comprehensive report. The governor is aware of the situation and has been coordinating the response plan.”
