Three Rescued As Two-Storey Building Collapses In Lagos

The incident occurred at about 3:50 p.m. at Ishaga Road, directly opposite the Central Mosque in Idi Araba.

Three people were rescued and taken to the hospital after a two-storey building under construction collapsed in the Mushin area of Lagos on Sunday.

The incident occurred at about 3:50 p.m. at Ishaga Road, directly opposite the Central Mosque in Idi Araba. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the collapse in a statement made available to journalists.

According to Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the NEMA Coordinator for the Lagos Territorial Office, emergency response teams were swiftly mobilised to the scene, where ongoing rescue operations were launched.

“Two people have been rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment. Operations are still ongoing,” Farinloye initially said, adding that further updates would be provided as more information becomes available.

He later added that another person was rescued at 6.35 pm.

The cause of the collapse has not yet been officially determined, but the incident adds to a string of structural failures that have plagued Lagos in recent years, often attributed to poor regulatory oversight, substandard materials, and disregard for approved building plans.

Recurring Building Collapses in Lagos

Lagos has seen multiple building collapses in recent years, raising concerns about construction standards and regulatory enforcement.

In April 2023, a seven-storey building under construction in Banana Island collapsed. In May 2022, a three-storey building on Herbert Macaulay Way in Yaba-Ebute-Metta crumbled during construction, resulting in multiple casualties.

Experts and advocacy groups have consistently called for stricter enforcement of building regulations, routine structural integrity tests, and stiffer penalties for developers who flout the law. Despite these calls, incidents have continued, particularly in densely populated areas like Mushin, where informal developments and high demand for housing often lead to regulatory compromises.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and other emergency bodies are expected to issue detailed findings once rescue operations are concluded and an investigation into the cause of the latest collapse is completed.