Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday as a two-storey building collapsed at No. 54, Cole Street, Cemetery Bus Stop, near UBA Bank in Oyingbo, Lagos, leaving several residents trapped beneath the rubble.
According to reports, the incident occurred shortly after midnight.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LSFRS, said it received a distress call at 12:20 a.m., prompting firefighters from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station to arrive at the scene within minutes, at 12:29 a.m., to begin search-and-rescue operations.
Confirming the development, Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said 15 persons had so far been rescued alive, seven adult males, four adult females, and four children, all with varying degrees of injury.
She added that the victims had been transported to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, and the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, for urgent medical attention.
Preliminary findings revealed that the ill-fated structure had previously been marked as distressed but was still occupied by residents at the time of the collapse.
Adeseye noted that rescue efforts were still ongoing, as emergency responders continued combing through the debris for any remaining victims feared trapped.
She assured the public that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in collaboration with other emergency management agencies, remains on site and fully mobilised “to ensure that every trapped individual is safely recovered.”