One of the workers with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), was on Monday, trapped in an underground drainage at the Onipanu area of the state while trying to clean the debris.
It was learnt that the male adult worker was part of the team working on dislodging and evacuating waste from the underground drainage in the area.
He was, however, caught in between the tunnel.
Speaking on the incident, the permanent secretary of the Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said emergency responders, including LASEMA officials, officers of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and LAMATA, have been deployed to the scene to rescue the trapped worker.
rescue efforts
Oke-Osanyintolu added that the agency provided sophisticated equipment to save the worker’s life, adding that the inflow of water was also diverted to reduce the underground water volume.
“Following an SOS message on the distress situation of a Drainage Worker, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from its Onipanu Base,” he said.
“Upon the arrival of the emergency responders at the incident scene, investigations revealed that an adult male de-silting drainages along that axis in an attempt to clear a blocked portion accessed the underground tunnel and got trapped.
“Further investigation at the incident scene revealed that the man was a Drain Ducks worker employed by LAMATA, while trying to dislodge and evacuate debris from the underground drainage, unfortunately, got trapped in between the tunnel.
“In conducting the Search and Rescue Operation, the LASEMA Response Team and all Emergency Responders are working together assiduously to rescue the trapped victim from inside the underground drainage which commenced at 1625hrs,” he said.
Update
Giving fresh updates on the incident, LASEMA spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor said on Tuesday that all efforts to rescue the trapped worker on Monday proved abortive, leading to a suspension of the exercise, but rescue operations have resumed again today.
“The rescue operation was suspended at 09:36hrs yesterday to resume today since all efforts to rescue him proved abortive. Rescue operations still ongoing,” he said.