15 Rescued, Others Feared Trapped as Two-Storey Building Collapses in Lagos

At least 15 people have been rescued after a two-storey building collapsed early Monday morning in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State.

The building, located at No. 54 Cole Street, Cemetery Bus Stop, caved in around 12:20 a.m., throwing the neighbourhood into chaos as residents scrambled to save those trapped under the rubble.

Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, rushed to the scene and began a frantic search and rescue operation.

Confirming the incident, the Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the collapsed structure had previously been marked as distressed and declared unsafe for habitation.

“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked as distressed before collapsing on the occupants. So far, 15 people—seven adult males, four adult females, and four children—have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries,” Adeseye said.

She added that the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, and the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, for urgent medical attention.

As of 6 a.m., no fatalities had been confirmed, but rescue efforts continued as several others were feared to be trapped beneath the debris.

Residents, visibly shaken by the incident, joined emergency teams in clearing rubble and assisting victims as tension filled the area.

The Lagos State Government has repeatedly warned against occupying structurally unsafe buildings, following a string of similar collapses in recent years that have claimed dozens of lives across the state.