No fewer than two persons, including an infant, lost their lives on Thursday after a three-storey shopping mall collapsed at Oluti Bus Stop along Old Ojo Road, Alakija, in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The incident, which occurred around 10am, also left at least 16 persons rescued with varying degrees of injuries, while emergency responders continued efforts to reach others feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapsed structure, located opposite Eternal Oil Filling Station, reportedly housed several businesses, including generator shops, a cyber café and point-of-sale service outlets.
Witnesses said the building suddenly gave way after business activities had commenced for the day, throwing the area into confusion as residents and traders scrambled for safety.
A witness, Musa, who was riding towards Mile 2 when the incident occurred, said, “I drove to the front quickly and then turned back and saw that the mall had collapsed.”
Another resident who narrowly escaped the tragedy recounted the frightening moment, saying, “I heard a loud noise with smoke everywhere. I was carrying my child, not knowing which direction to run.”
Residents alleged that the building had shown signs of structural distress days before the collapse.
According to them, the Lagos State Government had previously marked the structure for evacuation, while some occupants had earlier vacated the premises due to safety concerns.
One resident, who spoke anonymously, said, “The building was giving signs that it would collapse.”
Emergency responders from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps and the Nigerian Red Cross Society were deployed to the scene.
A police officer involved in the rescue operation confirmed that several persons were still trapped beneath the debris as rescue efforts continued.
“There is somebody’s hand showing from that side. There is another person making a noise from under the building. A lot of people are still alive inside there,” an eyewitness said.
The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the casualty figure and said emergency teams remained on ground to rescue trapped victims.
She disclosed that the agency received a distress call at about 11:37am and immediately mobilised personnel from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene 12 minutes later.
According to the agency, all rescued victims and recovered casualties were taken to the Navy Town Hospital, Alakija, for medical attention.
Rescue operations were still ongoing as of press time, while authorities appealed to residents and sympathisers to stay away from the area to allow unhindered access for emergency workers.
