LAGOS, Nigeria (FN) — A two-storey residential building collapsed early Monday in the Oyingbo area of Lagos, leaving an unknown number of people trapped beneath the rubble, emergency officials said.
The incident occurred at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, shortly after midnight. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at 12:20 a.m. and dispatched a team from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station within minutes.
Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that the structure had previously been marked as distressed. “It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” she said.
So far, 15 people — including seven men, four women, and four children — have been pulled from the debris with varying degrees of injuries. Victims were transported to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute‑Metta and the General Hospital in Lagos Island for treatment.
Rescue operations were still underway as of Monday morning, with emergency responders working to locate additional survivors. The exact number of people trapped remains unclear.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed concern over the incident and directed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to conduct an immediate structural audit of buildings in the area. “We cannot afford to lose more lives to preventable collapses,” he said in a statement.
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) said the collapsed structure had been previously flagged for structural defects but was still occupied. Officials pledged to intensify enforcement and penalize property owners who ignore evacuation orders.
Public reaction has been swift and emotional, with many residents blaming regulatory failures and corruption. “This keeps happening because no one is held accountable,” said a local resident who witnessed the rescue. “We report unsafe buildings, and nothing is done until people die.”
Building collapses are a recurring tragedy in Nigeria’s commercial capital, often attributed to poor construction practices, substandard materials, and lax enforcement of safety regulations.
As rescue efforts continue, civil society groups have renewed calls for stricter oversight and transparency in the approval and monitoring of construction projects. The Lagos State government has urged residents to report signs of structural distress and avoid buildings marked for demolition.
