Two dead as truck crash, building collapse hit Lagos

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said efforts were being intensified to ensure no victim remained trapped beneath the rubble.

Two people have died in separate incidents involving a truck accident and a building collapse in different parts of Lagos State, emergency authorities said on Friday.

The fatalities occurred after a container-laden truck crashed into a sport utility vehicle (SUV) along Old Abeokuta Road in the Abattoir area of the state and a three-storey building under construction partially collapsed in Lekki Phase 1.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olawale Afolabi, disclosed the incidents in a statement.

Mr Afolabi said the road crash occurred at about 10:40 p.m. on Thursday when an articulated truck carrying a 40-foot container reportedly suffered brake failure while descending Old Abeokuta Road towards the Abattoir.

The truck subsequently lost control and collided head-on with a peach-coloured Toyota Highlander with registration number KRD 179KL.

According to LASEMA, the driver of the SUV sustained severe fractures to both legs and his left arm and became trapped in the wreckage.

Emergency responders rescued him alive and rushed him for treatment, while two other occupants of the vehicle escaped unhurt. However, the injured driver later died from the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Mr Afolabi stated that emergency officials worked through the night to rescue the victim and clear the accident scene, while recovery operations involving the truck and its container were completed on Friday, restoring normal traffic flow along the corridor.

The accident also adds to concerns over the dangers posed by articulated vehicles on Lagos roads. In recent years, several fatal crashes involving container-laden trucks have been recorded across the state, with brake failure frequently identified by emergency responders and road safety officials as a major contributing factor.

Building collapse

In a separate incident on Friday, a three-storey building under construction partially collapsed at No. 1 Josephine Fingesi Street, off Wole Olateju Street, Lekki Phase 1.

Mr Afolabi said nine people were affected by the collapse.

“Seven adult males were rescued alive and stabilised by emergency responders, one adult male was confirmed dead at the scene and his remains recovered, while one adult male remains missing,” he stated.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, explained that search-and-rescue operations were continuing at the site in collaboration with the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency agencies.

He said efforts were being intensified to ensure no victim remained trapped beneath the rubble.

“Our priority remains saving lives. We are working methodically and in partnership with relevant agencies to ensure no victim is left behind while maintaining safety for responders,” Mr Oke-Osanyintolu stressed.

Friday’s collapse is the latest in a string of building failures that have continued to raise concerns about construction safety in Lagos. In March 2025, a three-storey building under construction on Oriwu Street, also in Lekki Phase 1, collapsed, killing four people and injuring several others.

The earlier tragedy prompted renewed scrutiny of compliance with approved building standards and regulatory oversight of construction projects in the area. Since then, Lagos authorities have intensified enforcement efforts against errant developers, sealing hundreds of construction sites across the state over alleged safety violations and breaches of building regulations.

Rescue efforts were continuing at the Lekki site as of Friday evening, with emergency officials working to locate the person still reported missing beneath the rubble.