Two yet-to-be-identified children lost their lives on Wednesday after being trapped in the rubble of a storey building that partially collapsed in the Gafari Balogun area of Ogudu, Lagos State.
WE4WE REPORTS gathered that the building came down around noon and residents scampered for safety, but the children could not escape.
When emergency responders got to the scene, residents informed them that some children were trapped in the rubble and a rescue operation led to the recovery of the victims’ corpses.
Footages showed wailing residents as personnel of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency brought out the victims’ remains from the rubble and deposited them in a vehicle.
Some of the residents were also seen packing their property from the section of the building that was still standing.
Confirming the incident, the Director-General, LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the building collapsed due to mudslide that accompanied the downpour.
He stated that the victims were children, adding that their corpses had been recovered.
Oke-Osanyintolu said, “The LASEMA Response Team received a distress call at 12.40pm about the collapse of a one-storey building on Gafari Balogun Street, Ogudu.
“On arrival at the scene, the agency’s responders observed that the building collapsed as a result of mudslide at the rear of the building, which was caused by heavy rainfall.
“The agents were informed that two children, a male and a female, were trapped and they immediately commenced a search and rescue operation. Unfortunately, the children were found dead and their remains have been taken to the mortuary.
“Integrity test will be carried out on the remaining portion of the building, which has now been cordoned off.”