Tragedy struck on Friday night when a three-storey building under construction collapsed at 333 Borno Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, in Lagos State, leaving several people trapped beneath the rubble.
In a statement on Saturday via its official X handle, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that four adult males had been rescued alive and rushed to hospital for treatment.
“Eyewitness reports vary, with some suggesting six people were trapped and others putting the figure at five. So far, four adult males have been rescued alive,” the agency said.
Rescue efforts were immediately launched by teams from NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other responders, who worked through the night to locate survivors. The site has since been cordoned off to ensure safety and facilitate smooth operations.
NEMA noted that the exact number of people still trapped remains unclear, but assured that search and rescue teams were leaving no stone unturned in their mission to save lives.
The Yaba collapse adds to the long list of building failures that have plagued Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
Experts and civil society groups have repeatedly linked these incidents to poor construction practices, substandard materials, and weak regulatory enforcement.
Official data shows that dozens of building collapses are recorded annually, often resulting in fatalities, severe injuries, and displacement of families.
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