At least five people have been confirmed dead and 26 others injured following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction in the Ojodu area of Lagos State on Friday morning.
The tragic incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. at No. 10 Oremeta Street, where construction work was reportedly ongoing to add a third floor to the structure. The building, owned by Equal Right Company, had been under construction for several years but was already in partial use — with a restaurant operating on the ground floor.
According to police sources, staff and customers of the restaurant were among those trapped when the structure gave way.
Following a distress call, a massive emergency response operation was launched. Teams from the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Ambulance Service, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) quickly arrived at the scene.
In a statement from the Lagos State Police Command, officials confirmed that 26 victims with varying degrees of injuries had been rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, while five bodies were recovered from the rubble.
Search and rescue operations remain ongoing, with fears that more individuals could still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Authorities have yet to provide details on what caused the collapse, but unconfirmed reports suggest that structural weaknesses and violations of building regulations may have played a role.
This latest collapse adds to growing concerns about building safety standards and enforcement in Lagos, a city that has witnessed several similar tragedies in recent years.
Leave a Reply