One Dead, Three Rescued In Lagos Building Collapse.
A tragic incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a one-storey building under construction collapsed at 96 Ishaga Road, opposite Idi Araba Central Mosque, in the Mushin area of Lagos, claiming one life and leaving three others injured.
The collapse, which took place around 3:30 p.m., prompted a swift response from emergency services. According to a statement from Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, a distress call was received at approximately 3:30 p.m., leading to the immediate deployment of responders from multiple agencies, including the Isolo Fire Station, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos State Ambulance Service, and the Nigeria Police.
Three adult males were rescued alive from the rubble, each sustaining injuries of varying severity. They received immediate medical attention at the scene before being transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Sadly, one male construction worker was recovered dead, as confirmed by Ibrahim Farinloye, Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Lagos Territorial Office, and Shakiru Amodu, spokesperson for the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
“Unfortunately, one adult male has been recovered dead,” Amodu stated, while Farinloye noted, “So far, one person has been confirmed dead, while three others have been rescued alive. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.”
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, with authorities working to determine the factors that led to the incident. Eyewitnesses reported that the building was still under construction at the time of the collapse, raising concerns about structural integrity and adherence to building regulations.
This incident follows a troubling pattern of building collapses in Lagos, particularly in densely populated areas like Mushin, where high demand for housing and informal developments often lead to regulatory oversights. Experts and advocacy groups have long called for stricter enforcement of building codes, routine structural integrity tests, and harsher penalties for developers who fail to comply with safety standards.
Rescue operations continued into Sunday evening as emergency teams worked tirelessly to ensure no additional victims remained trapped. The Lagos State Government has yet to release an official statement on the incident, but residents are urging authorities to take decisive action to prevent future tragedies.
The community of Mushin mourns the loss of life and prays for the speedy recovery of those injured. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance and accountability in Nigeria’s construction sector to safeguard lives and property.
