The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in its Midyear Activity Report, disclosed that 50 persons were dead and 223 were rescued in emergency incidents responded to by the agency in the last six months.

Margaret Adeseye, the Fire Service Director, highlighted the key statistics and trends from January to June, 2024.

“The service responded to a total of 1,085 incidents, including 884 fire calls and 191 rescue operations. Notably, fire calls peaked in January and February with 186 each, then declined to 97 in June. Rescue calls were highest in May at 40,” the director said in the Thursday report.

The service also addressed 10 collapsed building incidents, with a significant spike of five in May. Additionally, there were 331 false calls, which it said underscored the need for public education on proper emergency call usage.

“A total of 223 victims were rescued alive, with March and April seeing the highest numbers at 50 and 49, respectively. Tragically, 50 victims were recovered suspected dead, with May accounting for 23 of these cases,” Adeseye added.

These figures, according to the agency, emphasised the importance of continuous improvement in emergency response and building safety measures.

In June, fire gutted Christ Embassy church headquarters in Lagos and a building collapsed after a downpour in the Mushin area of Lagos in early July where seven persons were rescued.

Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, blamed the collapse of the two-storey building on the use of substandard materials.

Oki said the owner of the building would be prosecuted for violating an earlier stop-work order issued by the government and for breaking the seal put on the building.