At least eight people, including a baby girl, have been confirmed dead after a three-storey shopping mall collapsed in the Alakija area of Lagos State, triggering a massive rescue operation involving multiple emergency agencies.
The building, located along Old Ojo Road near Alakija Bus Stop in Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area, caved in on Thursday morning while businesses were already open, trapping shoppers, traders and workers beneath the rubble. Emergency responders raced to the scene as frantic relatives and residents searched for loved ones.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that, as of Thursday evening, 26 people had been rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries, while eight bodies, including that of a baby girl, had been recovered. Rescue teams continued searching the debris amid fears that more victims could still be trapped.
The multi-agency operation includes LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Nigerian Red Cross and other emergency responders. Excavators and heavy equipment have been deployed to speed up search-and-rescue efforts.
Eyewitnesses claimed the building had shown visible signs of structural distress before the collapse. Some residents alleged that cracks had appeared days earlier, while others said portions of the building had previously been marked for evacuation over safety concerns. Authorities have not officially confirmed those claims, and the cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
