Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday when a two-storey residential building collapsed in Lagos, leaving several residents trapped beneath the debris.
The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. at No. 54, Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop by UBA Bank in the Oyingbo area of the state.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LSFRS, said a distress call was received shortly after midnight, prompting emergency teams from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station to rush to the scene.
They arrived within minutes and immediately commenced search and rescue operations under challenging conditions.
According to the LSFRS Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, 15 victims — including seven men, four women, and four children — were pulled out of the rubble with varying degrees of injury.
The rescued individuals were swiftly transported to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute Meta and the General Hospital on Lagos Island for treatment.
Adeseye revealed that initial investigations pointed to structural instability as the primary cause of the collapse.
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Authorities had reportedly declared the building unsafe for habitation months earlier, yet tenants continued to occupy the premises.
The disaster has reignited concerns about the enforcement of building safety regulations across Lagos, a state frequently plagued by such incidents.
As of press time, rescue operations remained underway, with emergency responders working tirelessly to locate and save any remaining trapped victims.
Officials from multiple agencies — including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Lagos Ambulance Service — are collaborating at the site.
Adeseye emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that every affected resident is accounted for and urged the public to stay away from the scene to allow unhindered rescue efforts.
“Our teams remain fully deployed. We are focused on saving lives and ensuring that no one is left behind,” she said.
This latest collapse adds to a growing list of structural failures in Lagos, where experts have long warned about the dangers of neglected maintenance, substandard materials, and illegal modifications.
Authorities are expected to launch a full investigation into the incident once rescue operations conclude.
Politics Nigeria
