No fewer than eight persons, including an infant girl, have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex in the Alakija area along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on Thursday.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said 26 other victims were rescued alive from the rubble as emergency responders continued intensive search and rescue operations at the scene.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed the latest casualty figures in an update issued on Thursday.
According to him, the shopping complex, which housed several business premises, collapsed earlier in the day, prompting the immediate activation of the state’s emergency response system.
“LASEMA has activated its emergency response following the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex at Alakija, Ori-Ade LCDA. A multi-agency rescue operation is ongoing, with responders working systematically to search for and extricate anyone trapped beneath the rubble,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu explained that officials of LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), and other emergency responders quickly mobilised to the scene to coordinate rescue efforts.
He noted that initial rescue operations led to the successful evacuation of two survivors and the recovery of one deceased victim before the casualty figure increased as the operation progressed.
Providing a further update at about 4:20 p.m., the LASEMA boss said eight bodies had been recovered, while 26 persons had been rescued alive.
“As of 4:20 p.m., a total of 26 persons have been rescued alive, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing,” he stated.
He added that reports indicated that more persons, including shop owners who had resumed business activities, might still be trapped beneath the debris.
Heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, has been deployed to accelerate rescue operations and gain access to affected sections of the collapsed structure.
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LASEMA appealed to members of the public to remain calm and stay away from the scene to allow emergency workers unrestricted access to carry out life-saving operations.
Earlier, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had reported that two persons were confirmed dead while 16 others were rescued alive.
The agency’s Director, Margaret Adeseye, said emergency responders remained on site to ensure that all victims were accounted for and to secure the area.
The latest incident comes barely three weeks after a three-storey building under construction partially collapsed on Josephine Fingesi Street in Lekki Phase 1 on June 5, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
