At least eight people, including an infant girl, died after a three-story shopping complex collapsed in the Alakija area along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on Thursday. Emergency responders rescued 26 others and continued searching for possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the latest casualty figures on Thursday afternoon. Officials said rescue teams remained at the scene because they believed more people could still be trapped.
The shopping complex, which housed several businesses and shops, collapsed earlier on Thursday in the Alakija area of Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
The incident triggered a swift response from LASEMA and other emergency agencies. Rescue workers arrived shortly after receiving distress calls and began searching through the debris.
LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency activated the state’s emergency response system immediately after the collapse.
Officials from LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Construction Company, and other agencies joined the operation.
Rescuers initially pulled two people alive from the rubble and recovered the body of an adult man.
Oke-Osanyintolu said emergency workers believed several traders and shop owners remained trapped because many businesses had opened before the building collapsed.
As rescue efforts continued, teams deployed excavators and other heavy equipment to remove concrete slabs and reach trapped victims faster.
By 4:20 p.m., rescuers had saved 26 people alive. However, the death toll rose to eight, including an infant girl.
“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,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
Authorities have not confirmed how many people occupied the building when it collapsed.
LASEMA urged residents to avoid the disaster site. The agency said keeping the area clear would allow rescue workers to operate safely and quickly.
Officials promised to provide additional updates as rescue operations continued.
