Lagos Fire Service confirms several injured, rushes victims to hospitals……..
By peterside Rejoice
Dozens of residents were feared trapped after a two-storey building collapsed in the Oyingbo area of Lagos in the early hours of Monday.
The tragic incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, Oyingbo. According to officials, the structure had earlier shown visible cracks before giving way while occupants were asleep.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the development in a statement signed by its Director, Margaret Adeseye, who said the distress call was received shortly after midnight.
She explained that rescue teams from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station were immediately deployed to the scene, where frantic efforts are ongoing to save those trapped beneath the debris.
“It is an ongoing rescue operation involving a two-storey building that had earlier been marked distressed before it eventually collapsed on the occupants,” Adeseye said.
So far, 15 people including seven men, four women, and four children have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries and taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, and General Hospital, Odan for treatment.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said the building had been showing signs of weakness for months. Some residents alleged that authorities failed to respond to earlier complaints about the structure’s condition.
“We reported to the local council when cracks started appearing on the walls. They came once and left. Now look at what has happened,” said a resident, who identified himself simply as Tunde.
Emergency teams including men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), NEMA, and the Police are currently at the site, clearing the rubble and searching for possible survivors.
As of press time, rescue efforts were still ongoing, while the number of casualties remains unconfirmed.
Building collapses have become a recurring tragedy in Lagos, often blamed on the use of substandard materials, poor construction practices, and non-compliance with safety regulations.
In November 2021, a 21-storey building under construction collapsed in Ikoyi, killing at least 42 people. Similarly, in September 2025, a four-storey building under construction in Yaba caved in, leaving many dead and others injured.
Residents have again called on the Lagos State Government to intensify monitoring of old and distressed buildings to prevent further loss of lives.
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