Several people are feared trapped after a three-storey building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday.
The building, a shopping complex, reportedly caved in around 11:40 a.m., triggering panic among residents and passersby in the area. The exact number of occupants trapped beneath the rubble was not immediately known as rescue efforts were still in progress as at the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the incident earlier, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, told THE WHISTLER that the agency had mobilised personnel to coordinate rescue operations and assess the situation.
In an update, Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed that two persons had been rescued alive, while the body of one adult male was recovered from the debris.
According to him, the survivors were rescued through the joint efforts of LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the CRCC Construction Company.
He added that indications suggest more people may still be trapped beneath the rubble, including shop owners who had reportedly resumed business activities in the complex before the collapse.
“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.
However, in a subsequent update, LASEMA said a total of 26 persons had been rescued alive, while eight fatalities, including a baby, had been recorded as of 4:20 p.m.
Rescue operations were still ongoing as emergency responders continued efforts to locate and extricate any remaining victims trapped beneath the rubble.
(The Whistler)
