Rescue efforts ongoing as Lagos sewer worker gets trapped in underground drainage

One of the sewer workers with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has been trapped in an underground drainage at the Onipanu area of the state.

On Monday, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) permanent secretary, said the adult male sewer worker was caught between the tunnel while dislodging and evacuating waste from the underground drainage.

He said the agency received a distress call to which LASEMA officers at the Onipanu base quickly responded to, adding that officers of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and LAMATA, were also deployed to the scene.

Oke-Osanyintolu said 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.”

Providing update on the incident on Tuesday, Nosa Okunbor, LASEMA head of public affairs unit, said all efforts to rescue the drain duck worker has proved abortive.

“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.