4 Yrs – Old Girl Declared Missing 2 Dead In A Collaspsed Building As Early Lagos Metropolis Flooding Submerges Communities

The downpour recorded in Lagos State has claimed its first casualty, as a 4years old girl, was confirmed to have been swept away by flood recorded in Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, Thursday. As gathered, the affected child was identified as Azeezat and was said to have been swept away when her community and two others experienced flooding caused by persistent rainfall which has crippled activities within the axis.
The three communities flooded during the downpour that lasted for several hours on Thursday were Igbayiola street, Fashola street, and Egbatedo street in Orile-Agege LCDA. An eyewitness narrated that Azeezat fell in a ditch while trying to escape with her family when the entire community was submerged by flood minutes after the rainfall started earlier today across the state.
The Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement accessing the extent of flooding recorded in the community, hinted that search and rescue for the child had commenced. Oke-Osanyintolu, who led emergency officials to the scene, blamed the flood recorded on blockage of community drainage channels leading to Aboru, Arigbanla, and Iyana-Ipaja canals.
He hinted that the emergency officials were alerted of the tragedy at about 10:30 am and that on arrival, a Post Disaster Assessment was carried out in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials. “Upon arrival at the incident scene in the company of NEMA officials, it was gathered from residents that a 4-year-old girl named “Azeezat” fell into a flooded big ditch/gutter while escaping to safety with her family in the wee hour of the night after their compound was submerged by flood.
“And after the Post Disaster Assessment, it was observed that three streets, (Igbayiola street, Fashola Street, Egbatedo street, were affected by the heavy rainfall. “There are barriers blocking the drainage channels in the affected areas leading to the canals at Aboru, Arigbanla and Iyana Ipaja which could have also caused the flooded from flowing away”.
Meanwhile, dozens of residents in Iyana Ipaja axis of Agege Local Government, Lagos State on Thursday escaped death when a one-storey building collapsed partially in the state. The collapsed building was said to have been a result of the downpour experienced in the state which has affected commercial activities and caused some building to become weak. An eyewitness narrated that casualties would have been recorded if not for the downpour and that the rainfall kept residents away from that section of the house that collapsed.

Confirming the development, Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement made available to newsmen, hinted that no life was lost and none of the residents sustained injuries. Oke-Osanyintolu further hinted that buildings within the community would be subjected to Structural Integrity Test (SIP) to ascertain if they were still habitable.
The Director-General said: “Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a one-storey building consisting of 8 rooms, 23 shops, and one store had partially collapsed. “A further investigation carried out by LASEMA Response Team (LRT) revealed that the adjoining fence to the staircase collapsed. And the building affected toilet of an adjacent building”. While confirming that the exercise was still ongoing, the LASEMA boss stated the affected structures have been cordoned off and integrity testing would be carried out on them.