Residents of an apartment building in Banana Island, Lagos, experienced a moment of relief after officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) successfully rescued them from an elevator where they had been trapped for over an hour.
The incident garnered significant attention after a video widely circulated on social media showed the occupants raising an alarm while stuck inside the lift.
In the footage, the residents appeared visibly distressed and sweating as they pleaded for assistance.
A social media user who shared the video claimed that the incident occurred in an apartment complex situated near the Banana Island School Apartment.
According to the individual, the trapped residents had contacted the landlord’s daughter for help but were informed that the building’s management would look into the situation.
In the video, the user said, “We are currently trapped inside the lift at the Banana Island School apartment. We have been stuck here for almost 40 minutes.
“We are suffocating in here and no one seems to be doing anything about it. We even contacted the landlady’s daughter and she said they would see what they can do.”
Providing an update on the incident, Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, confirmed that the residents were eventually rescued through a coordinated emergency response.
According to him, LASEMA personnel collaborated with officers from the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to free the trapped occupants.
“When the agency received the distress call, we immediately mobilised with the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and NEMA. Through the joint effort, the occupants were rescued successfully,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu added that the affected residents received attention at the scene and were reassured after the rescue operation.
Addressing concerns about the use of potentially faulty or partially damaged elevators, he advised residents to report such issues to the relevant authorities.
“Lagos residents should notify the safety commission or the fire services by writing to them so the appropriate authorities can address the matter,” he said.
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