From Tony Adibe
Emergency workers in Lagos on Monday rescued nine women trapped in a sinking storey building after the early morning heavy rainfall. The house said to be located at 47, Akinwunmi Street, North Estate Mende, Maryland, was reportedly being flooded after the downpour that lasted over four hours.
According to reports, flash floods were recorded in many Lagos streets at the early hours of Monday while houses in some riverine communities were heavily flooded. Reports also said that when the building became distressed as a result of the flood, the owner used a ladder and fled, leaving behind the vulnerable women.
However, the Lagos Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said that the landlord returned hours later and was handed over to the police for questioning.
Farinloye said NEMA had received distress alert on the building and immediately raced to the location to rescue the victims.
According to him, “The torrential rainfall which lasted about four hours in the early hours of the day flooded lots of communities in Lagos. NEMA advance team’s close observations called for more reinforcement of personnel. It was discovered that the landlord had used ladder to escape.
“He however, failed to contact emergency responders. It was someone from the office of one of the trapped victims that called NEMA. All trapped women have been successfully rescued. The landlord just returned to the scene, and he has been handed over to the police for leaving the vulnerable ladies. The agencies now are LASEMA, State Fire Service and Police Disaster Management Unit.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the incident, noting that no deaths nor injuries were recorded.
