Two persons have been confirmed dead and 22 others rescued alive Saturday afternoon after a three-storey building housing Equal Rights Restaurant and Bar collapsed at 10 Oremeta Street, Ojodu-Berger.
The building caved at about 8.00am and response team from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were on ground about an hour later to begin rescue operations.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, amid concerns over structural safety in Lagos, where 19 similar incidents occurred in 2024, according to LASEMA records.
Speaking at the scene, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, assured journalists that emergency responders were committed to reaching the deepest part of the site.
“We will get to ground zero to search for other victims still buried under the rubble,” he said.
A regular patron of the restaurant confided that the building had long shown visible signs of structural weakness.
“I usually go to the restaurant to eat and drink. Many times, I had seen water drip from the decking of the building even when it was not raining. People raised the alarm when they started putting a third structure on the building, but nothing was done,” he said.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh said investigation into the cause of the collapse had commenced. He assured residents that the authorities would get to the root of the matter, noting that efforts were ongoing to ensure anyone still trapped in the rubble was rescued.
“My Deputy Commissioner is still at the scene to ensure and coordinate security. People are still feared trapped and so, search and rescue is ongoing,” he said.
Residents said they and the police rallied round to ensure the safe evacuation of some of the trapped victims including women before the arrival of emergency workers.
