A family narrowly avoided a fatal disaster when their residence near the Adealu bus stop in the Iyana-Ipaja district of Lagos State collapsed over the weekend. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday.
The agency was alerted to the situation at 2:44 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, through the 767 and 112 emergency toll-free lines. Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “The structure collapsed at the address of No. 49, Oyinlola Street, adjacent to the Adealu Bus-stop, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos.”
Upon arrival, investigations revealed that it was the boys’ quarters behind the main storey building that had collapsed. Fortunately, the family involved managed to escape before the collapse, resulting in no casualties or fatalities. The collapse was attributed to neglect and poor maintenance of the boys’ quarters.
LASEMA’s crisis response team conducted public education efforts to raise awareness about the significant risks faced by the building’s residents if they remained there. “The main building, which consists of nine rooms downstairs and two flats upstairs, has been cordoned off. All occupants have been advised to vacate the building immediately for the safety of their lives and property,” Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He recommended the manual demolition of the remaining structure and the clearing of debris from the collapsed boys’ quarters. Additionally, he suggested conducting integrity tests by the Material Testing Laboratory on the main building to determine its structural safety.
This incident underscores the importance of regular maintenance and prompt attention to structural issues to prevent such near-tragedies.
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