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A three-storey building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday, leaving one person dead, 10 others rescued, and an unknown number feared trapped beneath the debris.
The structure, located on Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town, reportedly collapsed around 11:40 a.m., triggering an emergency response from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, he stated that rescue teams were carrying out a coordinated search operation to locate and extricate victims believed to be trapped in the rubble.
He said two people were initially rescued alive through the efforts of emergency responders, while the body of an adult male was recovered from the scene.
“LASEMA has activated its emergency response following the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex at Alakija, Ori-Ade LCDA,” he said.
“A multi-agency rescue operation is ongoing, with responders working systematically to search for and extricate anyone trapped beneath the rubble,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
“Two victims have been rescued alive through the joint efforts of LASEMA, LASBCA and CRCC Construction Company,” he said.
“One deceased adult male has been located. Recovery efforts are ongoing.”
According to him, reports suggested that additional victims, including shop owners who had resumed business activities in the building, might still be trapped. He added that heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, had been deployed to support the rescue effort.
“There are reports that additional persons, including shop owners who had resumed business, may still be trapped. Search and rescue operations remain active,” he said.
“Heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, is being deployed to support rescue efforts,” Oke-Osanyintolu added.
Oke-Osanyintolu appealed to residents to stay away from the area to allow emergency workers carry out operations without obstruction.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at about 11:37 a.m. and immediately deployed personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene 12 minutes later.
Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, in a statement said 10 people had been rescued alive and handed over to medical personnel for treatment.
“The incident involves the collapse of a storey building, an existing residential structure occupied by multiple residents at the time of the incident,” she said.
“As of the time of this report, 10 persons have been rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and have been handed over to medical personnel for necessary treatment,” she stated.
She noted that rescue teams were continuing to search through the debris for possible survivors.
Adeseye described the collapsed structure as a residential building occupied by several residents at the time of the incident.
“Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as emergency responders continue efforts to locate, extricate, and evacuate any persons who may still be trapped beneath the debris,” Adeseye said.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the collapse, while rescue operations remain ongoing.
