AT least two people have lost their lives and 16 others have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries following the collapse of a residential building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred today at a multi-occupancy storey building located on Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town.
Confirming the development, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said emergency responders were alerted to the collapse at about 11:37 a.m. and immediately deployed personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene within minutes.
According to the agency’s Director, Margaret Adeseye, the structure was occupied by several residents when it gave way.
Rescue teams quickly commenced operations to search for and evacuate those trapped beneath the rubble.
While initial accounts from some eyewitnesses suggested that more casualties could be involved, officials confirmed that two bodies had been recovered from the debris.
Sixteen other victims were rescued and received treatment for injuries sustained during the collapse.
Adeseye stated that search and rescue efforts remained ongoing as emergency workers continued to comb through the site to ensure that no one was left trapped beneath the wreckage.
She added that responders were also working to secure the area and prevent further danger.
Several agencies joined the rescue operation, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
The collapse also disrupted traffic movement around the area.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reported significant congestion extending towards Oluti and deployed personnel to manage vehicular movement.
An excavator was also brought in to assist rescue teams in clearing debris and reaching potential survivors.
The Lagos incident comes barely 24 hours after another building collapse occurred in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where one person died and three others were rescued from a structure under construction along Odili Road.
That incident followed a separate collapse reported less than two days earlier in the Iwofe area of Rivers State, further intensifying concerns over building safety standards and regulatory enforcement across the country.
Building collapses remain a recurring challenge in Nigeria, with experts frequently attributing such incidents to poor construction practices, the use of substandard materials, inadequate supervision, and violations of approved building regulations.
Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the Lagos collapse as rescue efforts continue.
