A three-storey shopping complex in the Alakija area along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway collapsed on Thursday, leaving eight people dead and 26 others rescued in a large-scale emergency operation.
The building, which housed several shops and business outlets, came down during the day, trapping occupants beneath the rubble. Emergency agencies, led by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), quickly mobilised rescue teams to the scene.
According to LASEMA, search-and-rescue operations began immediately after the collapse was reported, with personnel from the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other emergency responders working together to locate survivors.
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Initial rescue efforts resulted in the successful evacuation of several victims, while the first confirmed fatality was an adult male recovered from the debris. As operations progressed, additional victims were found, increasing the death toll.
Providing an update later in the day, LASEMA said 26 people had been rescued alive, while eight fatalities, including an infant girl, had been confirmed. Rescue teams continued clearing the debris with the aid of heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, amid concerns that more people could still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Authorities appealed to residents to stay away from the site to allow emergency personnel unrestricted access as the rescue mission continued.
Earlier, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had reported rescuing 16 people and recovering two bodies before LASEMA released its updated casualty figures.
The latest tragedy comes just weeks after another three-storey building under construction partially collapsed in Lekki Phase 1, claiming one life and raising renewed concerns over building safety and compliance with construction regulations across Lagos State.
Investigations into the cause of the Alakija building collapse are expected to begin after rescue operations are concluded.
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