A two-storey building located at No. 54 Cole Street, Ebute Meta area of Lagos, collapsed around midnight on Monday, leaving several people trapped beneath the rubble.
Eyewitnesses reported that the incident occurred around 12 a.m., when most residents were asleep. The building which was reportedly undergoing renovation, had bamboo scaffolds attached to parts of its structure before it gave way.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later confirmed that 15 people were rescued after the building collapsed.
According to a situation report issued by the Director of LSFRS, Margaret Adeseye, the collapsed building had previously been marked as “distressed” before it gave way, trapping several occupants inside.
Adeseye disclosed that the rescued victims include seven adult females, seven adult males, and four children, all of whom sustained varying degrees of injuries. They were immediately taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, and the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, for treatment.
She noted that the rescue operation, led by officers from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station, was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report. “It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which has reportedly been marked distressed before collapsing on the occupants,” Adeseye stated.
Building collapses remain a recurring tragedy in Lagos, particularly during the rainy season. In September, six people were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed on Modupeola Street, Mangoro, Alimosho. Earlier that month, one person was confirmed dead when a three-storey building came down in the Alagomeji area of Yaba.
