Torrential Rainfall Hits Lagos And Ogun, Leads To Floods, Two-Story Building Collapse

Business and commercial activities were halted on Wednesday due to a 10-hour downpour across many areas of Lagos and Ogun states.

While the Lagos State government reported the rain will last nine hours overall, in some areas like Berger, Ikeja, Ogba, and others, it persisted for up to 12 hours, starting at midnight and lasting until noon.

The heavy rainfall led to severe flooding and caused a two-story building to collapse in the Mushin area of Lagos. It also resulted in traffic disruptions on the roads and affected thousands of residents. Schools were closed in parts of both states because of the flooding.

Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu reported that seven people were rescued alive from the collapsed building, attributing the collapse of the newly constructed structure to the severe weather conditions.

"Early this morning, seven people were rescued alive from a building in Ewenla, Mushin, that collapsed in the inclement weather," Oke-Osanyintolu said, Punch reported. Upon arrival of the LRT at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a newly constructed two-storey building had collapsed."

"Three females and four males were rescued alive and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The agency's search-and-rescue team had searched the rubbles and can confirm that there is no victim underneath the collapsed building. The area has been cordoned off, and operations are still ongoing."

Due to the unpredictable weather, the permanent secretary of LASEMA advised residents in Lagos to stay calm and avoid unnecessary travel.

In White Sand Estate, Isheri-Osun, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, some schools closed because of the heavy rain. Students taking exams were told to stay home due to the hazardous roads.

A student's parent praised the school's management for making a "pragmatic" decision, and added how the flood affected her house, "The rain has entered my house again; just look at the environment. This is White Sand Estate in Isheri-Osun."

The Public Relations Officer of the area's Community Development Johnson Olabode expressed his anger at the situation and said, "We are at it again this year. Everywhere is filled with water. I have been up since 3 am when the rain started, and all I could do was watch my house get flooded."

He pointed out that he can't even start removing water from his house until the rain stops. A resident of that area named John Adewale noted that this flooding has become a yearly nightmare event.