A three-storey shopping complex collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday, leaving one person dead, 10 others rescued, while an unspecified number of people 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, caved in around 11:40 a.m., triggering an emergency response from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other rescue teams.
In a statement issued on Thursday, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said a coordinated rescue operation was ongoing to locate and evacuate victims trapped under the debris.
“LASEMA has activated its emergency response following the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex at Alakija, Ori-Ade LCDA,” he said.
According to him, responders were carrying out a systematic search of the site amid concerns that more victims could still be trapped.
“A multi-agency rescue operation is ongoing, with responders working systematically to search for and extricate anyone trapped beneath the rubble,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
He revealed that two people had initially been rescued alive, while one body had been recovered.
“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.”
Oke-Osanyintolu added that reports from the scene suggested more people, including shop owners who had resumed business activities, might still be trapped inside 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 said.
He also disclosed that heavy-duty equipment had been deployed to support the rescue efforts.
“Heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, is being deployed to support rescue efforts,” he added.
The LASEMA boss urged residents to stay away from the scene to allow emergency workers carry out operations without obstruction.
“Members of the public are advised to remain calm, avoid the incident scene, and allow emergency responders unrestricted access to carry out life-saving operations,” he said.
LASEMA said it would continue to provide verified updates as rescue operations progress.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at 11:37 a.m. and immediately deployed personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene by 11:49 a.m.
In a separate statement, Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the collapsed structure was occupied by several residents when the incident occurred.
“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.
Adeseye disclosed that 10 people had so far been rescued alive 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.
She added that rescue teams were still combing through the debris in search of more survivors.
“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.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to determine the cause of the collapse.