A three-storey shopping complex collapsed on Thursday in the Alakija area of Lagos State, leaving one person dead, 10 others rescued, while an unspecified number of persons are feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The building, located on Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town, reportedly collapsed at about 11:40 a.m., triggering an emergency response from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other rescue agencies.
Confirming the incident, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said a coordinated rescue operation had been activated to locate and extricate victims trapped under the debris.
According to him, emergency responders were conducting a systematic search of the site amid concerns that more victims may still be trapped.
“LASEMA has activated its emergency response following the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex at Alakija, Ori-Ade LCDA.”
“A multi-agency rescue operation is ongoing, with responders working systematically to search for and extricate anyone trapped beneath the rubble,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu disclosed that two persons were initially rescued alive through the joint efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and CRCC Construction Company.
He added that the body of one adult male had also been recovered from the rubble.
“One deceased adult male has been located. Recovery efforts are ongoing,” he said.
He further revealed that reports from the scene indicated that additional persons, including shop owners who had resumed business activities, might still be trapped in the collapsed structure.
“There are reports that additional persons, including shop owners who had resumed business, may still be trapped. Search and rescue operations remain active,” he added.
To support the operation, heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, was deployed to aid search and rescue efforts.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents and bystanders to stay away from the scene to allow emergency responders unrestricted access to carry out life-saving operations.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at about 11:37 a.m. and immediately mobilised personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene by 11:49 a.m.
Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, described the collapsed structure as a residential building occupied by several residents at the time of the incident.
“The incident involves the collapse of a storey building, an existing residential structure occupied by multiple residents at the time of the incident,” Adeseye said.
She disclosed that 10 persons had so far been rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and handed over to medical personnel for treatment.
“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 saying search and rescue operations were still ongoing as of press time, while authorities were yet to determine the cause of the collapse.