Six construction workers were rescued and taken to hospital on Wednesday evening after a two-storey building collapsed in the Mangoro area of Alimosho, Lagos State.
According to The PUNCH, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. at 4 Modupeola Street, Mangoro Bus Stop, where workers were reportedly carrying out construction work on a structure being converted from a bungalow into a two-storey building.
Confirming the development, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said emergency responders acted swiftly to save the victims.
“A two-storey building collapsed at Modupeola Street, Mangoro, around 6 p.m. The cause is yet to be determined. The Lagos State Emergency Management Authority and other first responders got to the scene promptly and rescued six trapped persons,” Omotoso said in a statement.
He added that five of the victims were admitted to a private hospital nearby, while one with more serious injuries, including fractures and bruises, was taken by the Lagos State Ambulance Service to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
According to Omotoso, the 44-year-old victim transported to LASUTH was in stable condition on arrival and was immediately admitted for further treatment.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also confirmed the collapse, noting that it was a case of structural alteration.
The agency’s Controller General, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, explained that the collapsed portion was at the rear of the building.
“The structure was originally a bungalow but was being raised into a two-storey building while people were still occupying the ground floor,” Adeseye said.
“Five male construction workers sustained various degrees of injuries and were promptly taken to the hospital. Thankfully, no fatalities were recorded.”
During a visit on Thursday, the building was seen sealed by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency.
Residents of the estate told reporters that heavy rainfall masked the collapse, delaying awareness until cries for help alerted neighbors.
One resident, who gave his name simply as Moses, said, “We can’t say when they started raising the building because of the tree covering it, but the construction had been ongoing for weeks. The workers were on site when the collapse happened.”
Another resident added, “It was raining heavily when it happened, so many people didn’t notice. Some of us began rescue efforts before the fire service arrived around 6:30 p.m.”
The incident comes just two weeks after four people were killed in a similar collapse at Bornu Street, Ebute Meta, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of building regulations in Lagos.
