By HeapNews
At least one person has died and 26 others were rescued after a two-storey residential building collapsed at 54 Cole Street, Oyingbo, Lagos, in the early hours of Monday, emergency authorities said.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said its response team arrived at the scene around 12:40 a.m. to find the structure reduced to rubble, with several residents trapped beneath the debris.
“Upon arrival of the Agency’s response team at the scene, it was observed that a residential two-storey building had collapsed, trapping some residents under the rubbles,” said Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA.
The cause of the collapse has yet to be determined, he added.
As of 4:30 p.m., 26 people, 20 men, four women and two boys, had been pulled out alive, while one adult female was confirmed dead. Earlier, authorities reported 12 people rescued as the search continued through the morning.
“Rescued victims were treated by LASEMA and LASAMBUS before being taken to the General Hospital, Lagos Island, and the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
Responders at the scene included the Lagos State Fire Service, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, LASAMBUS, and the Nigeria Police.
LASEMA said the search-and-rescue operation was “almost at ground zero” by late afternoon, with emergency teams continuing to comb the debris to ensure no one was left trapped.
Building collapses are frequent in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, often blamed on poor construction practices, weak enforcement of regulations, and the use of substandard materials.