June 25 (THEWILL) — Fear and panic engulfed the Alakija area of Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State on Thursday after a three-storey shopping complex collapsed, leaving one person dead and raising concerns that more victims may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The building reportedly caved in at about 11:40 a.m., sending residents, traders, and passers-by scrambling for safety as the structure came crashing down.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that one adult male was recovered dead from the debris, while two other persons were rescued alive during ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
In a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency said it immediately activated its emergency response mechanism following reports of the incident.
According to him, a multi-agency rescue operation involving LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Construction Company was launched at the site.
“The two survivors were rescued through the combined efforts of emergency responders working at the scene,” the agency said.
LASEMA disclosed that preliminary assessments indicated that additional persons, including shop owners who had resumed business activities within the shopping complex, might still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Search and rescue teams were therefore continuing painstaking operations to locate and evacuate any remaining victims.
To accelerate the rescue efforts, the agency said heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, had been deployed to clear debris and gain access to areas suspected to contain trapped persons.
The collapse threw the busy Alakija neighbourhood into confusion, with anxious residents and business owners gathering around the scene as emergency workers battled to save lives.
Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed suddenly, causing panic among occupants of nearby structures and disrupting commercial activities in the area.
LASEMA appealed to members of the public to remain calm and stay away from the disaster site to allow emergency responders unrestricted access to conduct life-saving operations.
The agency assured residents that verified updates would continue to be provided as rescue efforts progress.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the collapse had not been established. LASEMA said a full-scale investigation would commence after the conclusion of rescue operations.
The incident came less than 24 hours after a six-storey building under construction collapsed along the Odili Road axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, killing one person and injuring three others.
Emergency responders, including officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the police, and other rescue agencies, have continued operations at the Port Harcourt site amid fears that additional workers may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Preliminary investigations by NEMA revealed what officials described as a serious structural violation, alleging that the developer obtained approval for a three-storey structure but exceeded the approved limit by constructing a six-storey building.
The back-to-back building collapses in Lagos and Rivers states have once again highlighted growing concerns over compliance with building regulations, enforcement of development approvals, and adherence to safety standards in Nigeria’s construction industry.
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