A two-storey building under construction on Craig Street, Shomolu, collapsed on Monday afternoon while workers were installing its decking slab. According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), those on site managed to escape just before the structure gave way .
The site, which housed two buildings being built simultaneously, saw one collapse at approximately 1 p.m., with concrete pillars crashing onto the adjacent Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Liberty Parish at No. 5 Craig Street. Worshippers inside narrowly escaped harm, and no one was hurt.
Rapid response teams , including LASEMA’s Cobra squad, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Fire & Rescue Service, Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and NSCDC quickly arrived at the scene. They conducted a thorough sweep to confirm that no one was trapped, then secured and cordoned off the site to prevent further access.
Authorities issued safety alerts to bystanders and nearby congregants, urging them to avoid the area and stay vigilant. Though the cause remains under investigation, preliminary findings confirm no casualties, offering a rare sigh of relief amid Nigeria’s frequent construction safety concerns.
LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Femi Oke‑Osanyintolu, emphasized that the collapse occurred during the critical decking phase and assured residents of accountability measures if any violations are uncovered.
The decking stage involves pouring a concrete slab, which places heavy load on temporary supports. Any structural flaw at this juncture can lead to a sudden collapse.
Lagos has seen multiple collapse incidents in recent years from the tragic losses in 2016 to the devastating school collapse in 2019 highlighting ongoing challenges with construction standards . The swift inter-agency response this time reflects improving coordination, but experts continue to urge tighter enforcement of building codes and frequent site inspections to prevent such near‑misses from turning fatal.
The timely escape of both workers and churchgoers stands as a narrow avoidance of tragedy. As structural investigators now analyze the collapse, the incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of safety measures during decking and the need for stricter regulatory vigilance in Lagos’s booming construction sector.
