The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey shopping mall in Lagos has risen to eight, while emergency responders have rescued 26 people alive from the rubble, authorities said Thursday.
The building collapsed Thursday morning at Alakija in the Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area, triggering a massive rescue operation involving multiple emergency and security agencies.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said search-and-rescue efforts remain underway amid fears that more victims could still be trapped beneath the debris.
“As of 4:20 p.m., a total of 26 persons have been rescued, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl,” Oke-Osanyintolu said in an update.
“Search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
Personnel from LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the military, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and other emergency agencies have been working through the rubble in an effort to locate additional survivors.
All rescued victims and recovered bodies have been taken to Navy Town Hospital in Alakija.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as the building came crashing down.
Musa, who said he was riding his motorcycle near the area when the incident occurred, recalled hearing a loud noise moments before discovering the collapse.
“I was going to Mile 2 when I suddenly heard noise behind me. I drove to the front quickly and then turned back. Then I saw that the mall had collapsed,” he said.
Another witness said he narrowly escaped the disaster.
“I was just arriving at the shop. Not up to five minutes later, I heard a loud noise and saw smoke everywhere. I was carrying my child and didn't know which direction to run,” he said.
Several witnesses reported hearing voices from beneath the rubble during the rescue operation.
“Look, 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,” one resident said as rescuers worked at the scene.
Residents also raised concerns about the condition of the structure before the collapse.
Some claimed the building had shown visible signs of distress and had developed cracks days earlier.
A resident whose employer previously operated a business in the mall said concerns about the building's safety were not new.
“My boss owns a cybercafé inside the mall. Two years ago, he moved out because he believed the building showed signs that it could collapse,” the resident said.
Other residents alleged that the structure had previously been marked for evacuation by government authorities, although officials have not yet confirmed those claims.
The cause of the collapse has not been officially determined. Authorities say investigations will begin after rescue operations are completed.
Meanwhile, anxious relatives of missing occupants remained at the site, hoping for more survivors as emergency teams continued the search into the evening.
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