Lagos Building Collapse: 9 Dead, 27 Rescued As Search Operation Ends

Nine people have been confirmed dead, while 27 others were rescued alive after a two-storey building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) announced that search and rescue operations at the collapsed building located near Alakija Bus Stop, Satellite Town, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, have officially been concluded.

According to a statement issued by LASEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, emergency responders successfully rescued 27 victims through a coordinated operation involving the LASEMA Response Team, sister agencies, and members of the local community.

“Twenty-seven persons were rescued alive through coordinated efforts by the LASEMA Response Team, sister agencies, and members of the community. Victims received immediate pre-hospital care from LASAMBUS and were transferred to nearby hospitals for further treatment,” the statement said.

LASEMA also confirmed that nine people lost their lives in the incident.

“Nine fatalities recovered, including four adults confirmed dead before responders’ arrival, and five additional victims, including a two-year-old baby girl. All deceased were respectfully bagged and handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, for identification and onwards release to families.”

Rescue Effort

The agency said its Director of Operations, Olanrewaju Akinsanya, alongside the Cappa Base Coordinator, Salami, supervised the rescue operation.

To support the recovery effort, LASEMA deployed one of its heavy-duty excavators to work alongside two excavators provided by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), enabling responders to safely reach trapped victims and complete the operation.

“LASEMA’s heavy-duty excavator was deployed to augment two CCECC excavators already on site, enabling safe access to trapped victims and accelerating the operation to ground zero,” the agency stated.

Lagos Orders Structural Assessment

The Lagos State Government has expressed condolences to the families of those who died and wished those receiving treatment a speedy recovery.

Following the incident, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to immediately carry out structural integrity assessments on nearby buildings and enforce compliance with building safety regulations in the area.

LASEMA also reaffirmed its commitment to rapid emergency response, professionalism, and collaboration with other agencies, while urging residents to report distressed or unsafe buildings to both LASBCA and LASEMA.

The latest incident occurred less than 24 hours after another building under construction collapsed in Rivers State. Experts have continued to link the increasing cases of building collapses across Nigeria to factors such as the use of substandard building materials and poor construction practices.