An undisclosed number of people were reportedly trapped after a building collapsed in Lagos in the early hours of Monday.
This was revealed in a situation report issued by the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye.
The affected structure was identified as a two-storey building located at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop in the Oyingbo area of Lagos.
Adeseye, who confirmed the incident, explained that the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station team was promptly deployed to the site after receiving a distress call around 12:20 a.m. on Monday.
According to the agency, the building, which had earlier shown signs of distress, eventually collapsed while residents were still inside.
Ongoing rescue efforts at the scene of the building collapse in Lagos. Photo Credit: Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service
“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which has reportedly been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” the statement said.
So far, 15 people — including seven men, four women, and four children — have been rescued with varying degrees of injuries and taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute-Metta and General Hospital, Odan in Lagos Island.
As of the time of filing this report, rescue operations were still ongoing.
Building collapses in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, have become an alarmingly frequent occurrence.
These incidents are often linked to weak regulatory enforcement, use of sub-standard materials, and poor building inspections.
One of the most notable cases in Lagos occurred in November 2021, when a high-rise luxury apartment under construction in the Ikoyi area collapsed, killing at least 42 people. Investigations later showed that the building had exceeded the approved number of floors.
In September 2025, another collapse happened in the Yaba district of Lagos, where a four-storey structure under construction came down, leaving several people dead and others trapped.
