A three-storey building collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State on Thursday morning, barely 24 hours after a similar disaster in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Several persons are feared trapped under the debris, according to initial reports from the scene.
Emergency response launched
Security operatives and local residents immediately launched rescue efforts after the building caved in. Police officers from the Area E Command and Satellite Division arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, joining volunteers in searching for survivors. Videos and photographs circulating on social media showed rescuers combing through the rubble, with some using bare hands to remove concrete blocks.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not confirmed the number of persons trapped, injured, or killed. The cause of the collapse also remained unknown.
Renewed concerns over building safety
Thursday's incident follows a five-storey building collapse in the Woji area of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, which trapped several persons and prompted a major rescue operation involving emergency agencies and security personnel. PREMIUM TIMES reported that rescue workers were making frantic efforts to reach victims beneath the rubble in Port Harcourt, as investigations into that collapse commenced.
Experts have repeatedly cited poor construction practices, weak regulatory oversight, and non-compliance with approved building standards as factors contributing to structural failures in Nigeria's major cities. In May, this newspaper reported how school children narrowly escaped before a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos.
Official response awaited
The Lagos State Government and emergency management agencies had yet to issue detailed statements on Thursday's incident as rescue efforts continued at the Alakija site. The back-to-back collapses have heightened public anxiety over building safety, with calls for stricter enforcement of building codes and more rigorous inspections.
