At least eight people, including an infant girl, have been confirmed dead after a three-storey shopping complex collapsed in the Alakija area along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on Thursday.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said 26 other victims were rescued alive from the rubble as emergency workers continued search and rescue operations at the scene.
LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the state immediately activated its emergency response after receiving reports of the collapse.
According to him, officials from LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other emergency agencies launched a coordinated rescue operation to search for those trapped beneath the debris.
In an earlier update, Oke-Osanyintolu said two people were rescued alive while the body of an adult male was recovered from the collapsed structure.
He noted that several shop owners and customers were feared trapped inside the building, prompting the deployment of heavy equipment, including an excavator, to speed up rescue efforts.
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Giving a later update at about 4:20 p.m., the LASEMA boss confirmed that the death toll had risen to eight.
"So far, 26 people have been rescued alive, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing," he said.
He appealed to members of the public to stay away from the scene to allow emergency responders unrestricted access to continue rescue operations.
Earlier, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had reported that 16 people were rescued while two bodies were recovered before the casualty figure increased.
The agency's Director, Margaret Adeseye, said emergency responders remained committed to ensuring that everyone trapped in the collapsed building was accounted for.
The cause of the collapse has yet to be officially determined, while investigations are expected to begin after rescue operations are completed.
The latest incident adds to the growing number of building collapses recorded in Lagos. Earlier this month, a three-storey building under construction in Lekki Phase 1 partially collapsed, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
