The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey building in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos has climbed to five, while 20 people have so far been pulled from the rubble.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the updated casualty figures on Sunday. In a statement to journalists, the agency’s South-West Territorial Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye, disclosed that the rescued victims included nine adult males and one adult female.
“Tragically, five bodies were recovered from the site, three adult females and two adult males,” Farinloye stated.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), which had earlier reported one fatality during the initial rescue operation on Saturday, later confirmed four additional deaths on Sunday.
According to LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the recovered bodies have been taken to the morgue, while emergency responders remain at the scene to continue search and rescue efforts.
“All first responders are still on-site to sustain the operation. Updates will be provided as the situation develops,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Police Command released a slightly different set of figures. The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, in response to inquiries, said: “twenty-three rescued, two dead.”
As of Sunday evening, discrepancies persist between figures released by the various emergency agencies, though search and rescue operations remain ongoing.