Panic gripped residents of Ishaga Road in the Mushin area of Lagos on Sunday afternoon when a one-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed, leaving several people feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m. opposite the Idi Araba Central Mosque, prompted immediate emergency response from both residents and official rescue teams.
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the collapse and detailed the agency's swift response to the situation.
"We received distress alerts at 15:40 hours and promptly activated the State's Emergency Response Plan from our Cappa base. By 15:56 hours, our team had arrived and confirmed the collapse of a storey building under construction with multiple individuals reportedly trapped," Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
As of the time of reporting, rescue teams had successfully extracted one person alive from the debris, with no fatalities recorded yet. "The good news is that one victim has been rescued alive, and there have been no reported deaths," the LASEMA Permanent Secretary added.
While investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, preliminary assessments by experts at the scene suggest structural failure, substandard materials, or poor engineering practices may have contributed to the incident.
The rescue operation involves a coordinated effort from multiple emergency response agencies, including LASEMA, the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC).
Heavy machinery, including excavators, has been deployed to clear the debris as rescuers work against time to reach those who might still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The site has been secured to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the safety of both rescuers and onlookers as operations continue.
This incident adds to a concerning pattern of building collapses in Lagos State, raising questions about enforcement of building codes and construction standards in the densely populated commercial hub.
Authorities have urged residents to report any signs of structural weakness in buildings to prevent similar incidents in the future.
