By HeapNews
A two-storey building under construction collapsed on Tuesday afternoon at Otta Ona Junction near the Mobil Filling Station in Ikorodu, leaving three people trapped under rubble and nine others injured.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 2:02 p.m., prompting the immediate activation of the State Emergency Response Plan.
By 2:40 p.m., specialized response teams from LASEMA’s Agbowa and Alausa units — codenamed Tiger and Lion — had arrived at the scene. The structure was confirmed to have completely collapsed.
“We can confirm that three individuals are still trapped under the debris. Search and rescue operations are in full swing, and we have deployed an excavator to aid in the clearance,” said Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA.
Nine adult males were rescued from the rubble with varying degrees of injuries and were treated on-site by LASEMA’s Pre-Hospital Care Unit. No fatalities have been confirmed as of the time of this report.
“The site has been secured to prevent further danger, and a safety perimeter has been established,” Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu added.
Multiple emergency agencies are currently on the ground, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Police Force, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
Local residents gathered anxiously around the cordoned-off area, with some expressing frustration over the increasing number of building collapses in Lagos.
“This is not the first time we are seeing something like this in Ikorodu. The government needs to do more to check substandard buildings before people die,” said Oluwaseun Ajayi, a resident who witnessed the collapse.
As at press time, search and rescue efforts were ongoing, with emergency teams racing against time to save those still trapped beneath the debris.
LASEMA has promised further updates as more information becomes available.