Emergency responders launched a large-scale rescue operation on Thursday, after a three-storey residential building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State, leaving several people trapped beneath the rubble.
The building, located on Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop in Satellite Town, collapsed at about 11:37 a.m., according to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
Emergency crews from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station arrived at the scene within minutes and began search-and-rescue operations.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said at least 16 people had been rescued alive and handed over to medical personnel for treatment.
“The incident involves the collapse of a storey residential building occupied by multiple residents at the time of the collapse,” the agency said in a statement.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the total number of occupants or how many people may still be trapped.
Rescue workers continued combing through the debris on Thursday afternoon in an effort to locate and evacuate survivors.
Several emergency agencies joined the operation, including the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Controller General Margaret Adeseye said search efforts remained ongoing and pledged to provide further updates as the operation progresses.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, and officials had yet to announce whether an investigation had been launched.
Residents and bystanders gathered around the site as rescue teams worked to reach those feared trapped beneath the wreckage.
(Ripples)