A two-storey building under construction collapsed on Monday in the Shomolu area of Lagos State, amid ongoing concerns over construction safety across the state.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. at No. 3 Craig Street, off Apata Road, during a concrete decking operation. No lives were lost.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said construction workers and worshippers at a nearby church managed to flee moments before the structure gave way, averting what could have been a major disaster.
According to LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency’s Cobra Response Team was immediately deployed to the site.
“The collapse occurred while workers were actively engaged in the decking process. Preliminary investigations confirmed that no victims were trapped under the debris,” Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said in a communique on Monday.
He added that the incident also affected the Liberty Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), as falling concrete pillars struck part of the building. However, church members escaped unharmed.
LASEMA said the entire site, which hosts two structures under simultaneous construction, has been cordoned off for safety and further structural assessment. The agency is collaborating with other regulatory bodies to determine the cause of the collapse, the communique added.
“The public can be assured that appropriate sanctions will be applied if any construction violations are uncovered,” Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said.
Fatal Collapse in Idi Araba
Monday’s incident comes barely a month after another building collapse in the Idi Araba area of Mushin, Lagos, which claimed one life and left three people injured.
In that case, a one-storey building under construction collapsed on Sunday, 12 May. LASEMA said it received a distress call at 3:40 p.m. and activated its emergency response from its Cappa base.
“Upon arrival at the scene, directly opposite the Idi Araba Central Mosque, we discovered several persons trapped under the rubble,” Mr Oke-Osanyintolu told this newspaper.
He explained that rescue efforts by LASEMA and other first responders led to the recovery of three survivors and one fatality. Heavy-duty equipment, including excavators, was deployed, and the site was levelled to ground zero to prevent further risk.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also confirmed the fatality.
“So far, one person has been confirmed dead, while three others were rescued alive,” said Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA coordinator for Lagos.
Building collapses have become a recurring tragedy in Lagos State. In March, reports had if that a structure undergoing conversion into a four-storey building collapsed, killing five and injuring 13 others, including restaurant workers and construction labourers.
According to data from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), over 100 buildings have collapsed in Lagos since 2005. The state accounted for nearly one-third of the 62 building collapse cases nationwide in 2022.
Experts frequently blame poor engineering practices, the use of substandard materials, and lax enforcement by regulatory agencies as the primary causes.
In November 2021, the collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi claimed 42 lives, leading to a government investigation that found gross violations of approved construction plans.
Despite efforts by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to enforce compliance, regulatory failures continue to undermine public safety.