The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex in the Alakija area of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway has risen to eight, while 26 persons have been rescued alive, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
The building, which housed several shops and business premises, collapsed on Thursday, triggering a massive multi-agency search and rescue operation.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the latest casualty figures in an update, saying emergency responders were still combing through the rubble in search of possible survivors.
“As of 4:20 p.m., a total of 26 persons have been rescued alive, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing,” he said.
The incident prompted the immediate activation of the state’s emergency response system, with officials of LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CRCC) and other emergency agencies mobilising to the scene.
Earlier, rescue workers had pulled two victims alive from the debris while recovering the body of an adult male. Heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, was later deployed to facilitate access to sections of the collapsed structure believed to have trapped additional victims.
Oke-Osanyintolu said reports indicated that several shop owners and customers who had resumed business activities before the collapse might have been trapped beneath the rubble.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had earlier reported that 16 persons were rescued alive while two bodies were recovered before LASEMA confirmed the updated casualty figure.
The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said emergency responders remained on the ground to ensure that all victims were accounted for.
“Emergency responders remain on the scene, working tirelessly to ensure that all affected persons are rescued and the area is secured,” she said.
Authorities have urged members of the public to stay away from the scene to allow rescue teams unhindered access as operations continue.
The latest incident adds to the growing number of building collapses recorded in Lagos in recent months. On June 5, a three-storey building under construction collapsed in Lekki Phase 1, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
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