Eight people, including a baby girl, have been confirmed dead after a three storey building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday, while emergency workers rescued 26 people alive as search operations continued into the evening.
Emergency officials said rescue teams remained at the scene amid concerns that more victims could still be trapped beneath the debris.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, through its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke Osanyintolu, confirmed the latest casualty figures in an operational update released at 4:20 p.m.
“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. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” Oke Osanyintolu said.
The latest figures represent a significant increase from the initial rescue reports earlier in the day, when emergency responders confirmed that 10 survivors had been pulled from the wreckage. That figure later rose to 17 before reaching 26 as heavy rescue equipment arrived and additional victims were located.
The building, located along Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop off the Lagos Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town, collapsed shortly after 11:37 a.m., triggering one of the state’s largest coordinated emergency rescue operations this year.
Officials said the structure was occupied when it gave way, trapping residents, shop owners and other occupants beneath the rubble.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters from the Ijegun Egba Fire Station were dispatched immediately after receiving a distress call and arrived at the scene within minutes to begin rescue efforts.
Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, earlier confirmed that several injured victims had been removed from the collapsed building before rescue numbers steadily increased throughout the day.
Authorities said emergency responders deployed excavators and other heavy machinery to speed up the painstaking search while ensuring the safety of rescue workers operating around the unstable structure.
The coordinated response involved the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Emergency officials urged residents to stay away from the disaster site to allow rescue personnel unrestricted access as operations continued.
Earlier assessments from the scene indicated that additional occupants could still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure, prompting officials to continue rescue efforts well beyond the initial response period.
Authorities have not yet announced the cause of the collapse. Structural engineers and investigators are expected to examine the site after search and rescue operations are completed to determine what triggered the disaster.
Building collapses have remained a recurring safety challenge in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where rapid urban development, aging buildings, substandard construction materials, weak regulatory enforcement and unauthorized structural modifications have repeatedly contributed to similar tragedies.
Experts say many building failures in the city have been linked to poor compliance with approved construction standards, inadequate supervision during construction and failure to carry out regular structural integrity assessments. Several previous investigations into building collapses across Lagos have prompted calls for stricter enforcement of existing building regulations and tougher penalties for violations.
The latest incident is expected to renew scrutiny of building safety oversight as authorities face increasing pressure to strengthen inspections of residential and commercial properties, particularly in densely populated communities where aging infrastructure and rapid urban expansion continue to raise safety concerns.
Construction industry analysts note that beyond the tragic loss of life, building collapses often carry significant economic consequences. Families lose homes and livelihoods, businesses suffer prolonged disruptions, nearby commercial activities are affected and government agencies must commit substantial resources to emergency response and investigations. Insurance losses, reconstruction costs and declining public confidence in building standards can also create broader financial pressures for property owners and investors.
The disaster also highlights the growing importance of emergency preparedness in one of Africa’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. Rescue agencies have invested in improved coordination and specialized equipment in recent years, enabling quicker deployment during structural emergencies, although experts say prevention remains far more effective than post disaster response.
Officials are expected to release additional updates as rescue teams complete operations and investigators begin determining the exact circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The casualty figures and rescue updates were confirmed by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. Earlier developments surrounding the collapse were also reported by SaharaReporters, Linda Ikeji and Punch Nigeria.
LindaIkeji/PunchNigeria/SaharaReporters
