LAGOS — At least 15 persons have been rescued after a two-storey building collapsed in the early hours of Monday at No. 54 Cole Street, Cemetery Bus Stop, Oyingbo, Lagos.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene shortly after midnight, working with residents and other state agencies to pull survivors from the rubble.
The incident, which occurred around 12:20 a.m., threw the neighbourhood into chaos as shouts for help filled the air. Witnesses said the building gave way suddenly, trapping several occupants inside while they were asleep.
According to reports, the structure had previously been marked as distressed by Lagos State authorities, and tenants had been warned to vacate. Despite the warning, several families continued to occupy the building due to lack of alternative housing.
Confirming the development, the Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said rescue operations began immediately after the collapse was reported. “It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked as distressed before collapsing on the occupants,” she said.
“So far, 15 people—seven adult males, four adult females, and four children—have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries,” Adeseye added. The victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, and the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, for urgent medical attention.
As of 6:00 a.m., no deaths had been officially confirmed, though emergency teams continued searching for those still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. Heavy-duty equipment and search dogs were deployed to assist in locating survivors.
Residents and sympathisers gathered around the site, some weeping as they waited for news of missing relatives. A local resident, identified only as Musa, said, “We heard a loud sound like thunder. When we ran outside, the whole building was down. People started shouting and calling for help.”
Officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Nigerian Police also arrived to secure the area and coordinate rescue logistics. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, though early findings point to structural weakness and neglect.
Building collapses remain a recurring challenge in Lagos, often linked to poor maintenance, substandard materials, and disregard for evacuation orders. The Lagos State Government has reiterated its warning to residents to vacate marked structures and report any visible signs of distress in buildings around them.
By mid-morning, search efforts were still ongoing as authorities vowed to continue until all trapped victims are accounted for. The area around Cole Street remained cordoned off to ensure safety and allow emergency operations to proceed unhindered.
