An undisclosed number of persons were feared trapped after a two-storey building collapsed in the Oyingbo area of Lagos in the early hours of Monday, authorities have confirmed.
According to a situation report released by the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, the incident occurred at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, around 12:20 a.m.
Adeseye stated that emergency responders from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the scene following a distress call.
“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” the statement read.
The agency confirmed that 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, Ebute Metta, and the General Hospital, Odan (Lagos Island).
Rescue operations are still ongoing as emergency teams continue to search for survivors amid the debris.
Building collapses in Lagos remain a recurring tragedy, often attributed to weak regulatory enforcement, use of substandard materials, and inadequate structural inspections.
In recent years, the city has witnessed several fatal incidents, including the Ikoyi high-rise collapse in November 2021, which claimed 42 lives, and the Yaba building collapse in September 2025, where multiple casualties were reported.
Authorities have repeatedly vowed stricter oversight of construction activities, but experts say enforcement gaps persist, leaving lives at risk in densely populated urban areas.
