Tragedy struck on Sunday afternoon when a one-storey building under construction collapsed in the Idi Araba area of Mushin, Lagos State, killing one construction worker and injuring three others.
The building, located at 96 Ishaga Road, opposite the Idi Araba Central Mosque, suddenly gave way at around 3:30 pm, prompting an emergency response from multiple state agencies.
Confirming the incident, Ibrahim Farinloye, the coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Territorial Office, said that so far, one worker had been confirmed dead, while three others were pulled from the rubble alive.
“So far, one person has been confirmed dead, while three others have been rescued alive. Search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Farinloye said in an official statement issued late Sunday evening.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also confirmed the fatality. Shakiru Amodu, the service’s spokesperson, stated, “Unfortunately, one adult male has been recovered dead.”
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, provided further details, revealing that the building was still under construction when it collapsed. According to her, the victims were likely workers present on site at the time of the incident.
“A building under construction at the one-storey level suddenly collapsed at 96 Ishaga Road, opposite Idi Araba Central Mosque, Mushin, Lagos. The distress call was received at approximately 3:30 pm,” Adeseye said.
She noted that emergency responders, including the Isolo Fire Station, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), and officers of the Nigeria Police, were quickly dispatched to the scene.
“Three adult males have been rescued alive with varying degrees of injury. They were attended to at the scene before being transferred to the hospital for further treatment by the Lagos State Ambulance Service,” the statement added.
As of the time of this report, search and rescue efforts are still ongoing to ensure no additional victims remain trapped beneath the debris. Heavy-duty equipment and rescue dogs have reportedly been deployed to aid the operations.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been officially determined, but incidents involving buildings under construction in Lagos have often been linked to the use of substandard materials, lack of structural integrity, and non-compliance with regulatory guidelines.
This incident adds to the troubling pattern of building collapses in Lagos and other urban areas of Nigeria, raising fresh concerns about enforcement of construction standards and regulatory oversight.
Authorities have called for a full investigation into the incident to determine if negligence or structural failure played a role in the collapse.
Meanwhile, the identities of the deceased and injured victims have not yet been made public as families are being notified.
Residents and eyewitnesses expressed shock at the incident, with many calling on the Lagos State Government to intensify monitoring of construction projects across the state to prevent future tragedies.
