Survivors and eyewitnesses have described the frightening scenes after a three-storey mall collapsed at Oluti Bus Stop along Old Ojo Road, opposite Eternal Oil Filling Station in Lagos. One witness said he could still hear a trapped victim making noises from beneath the rubble.
So far, 15 people have been rescued, while one death has been confirmed following the collapse on Thursday morning in Alakija, Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
A police officer at the scene, who requested anonymity, said about 15 people, including children and infants, had been rescued. However, several others are still trapped as emergency teams continue rescue efforts.
Personnel from the Police, Fire and Rescue Service, military, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), LASEMA, LNSC, and other agencies remain at the scene.
Musa, who witnessed the incident while riding his motorcycle, said: “I was going to Mile 2 when I suddenly heard noise behind me.
“I drove to the front quickly and then turned back. Then saw that the mall had collapsed.”
Another eyewitness said: “I was just arriving the shop, just outside. Not up to five minutes after, I heard a loud noise with smoke everywhere.
“I was carrying my child, not knowing which direction to run to as I escaped.”
A third witness pointed toward the debris and said: “Look, there is somebody’s hand showing from that side.
“There is another person making a noise from under the building. A lot of people are still alive inside there.”
A resident who asked not to be named said concerns about the building had been raised years earlier.
“My boss owns a cyber cafe inside the mall. Two years ago, he packed saying the building was giving signs that it would collapse.”
Several witnesses said the building was old and had developed cracks as recently as Tuesday. Residents also claimed the Lagos State Government had earlier marked it with a red evacuation warning.
One distraught eyewitness said: “My friend is dead inside there. He was about running out when a block hit him. There are casualties.”
There was a brief moment of joy when a boy was pulled alive from the rubble, drawing cheers from people gathered at the scene.
Relatives of those still trapped remain at the site, praying as rescue operations continue. All rescued victims and casualties have been taken to Navy Town Hospital, Alakija.
