Many Occupants Trapped As 2-storey Building Collapses In Lagos

Several people have been trapped after a two-storey building collapsed in the early hours of Monday in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State.

The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, Oyingbo. According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, emergency teams were immediately deployed to the site following a distress call.

Confirming the incident, the Director of the Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said rescue operations were ongoing as of Monday morning.

“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which has reportedly been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” Adeseye said in a statement.

She disclosed that personnel from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station led the emergency response efforts, with support from other rescue agencies.

So far, 15 persons, including seven men, four women, and four children, have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries. They were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta, and the General Hospital, Odan, for treatment.

The agency noted that the collapsed building had earlier shown visible signs of structural distress before it finally gave way while residents were still inside.

As of the time of filing this report, rescue efforts were still ongoing, and the number of those trapped remained unknown.

LEADERSHIP reports that building collapses have become alarmingly frequent in Lagos, often attributed to weak regulatory enforcement, the use of substandard construction materials, and poor supervision of building projects.