At least two persons including an infant were on Thursday killed and 16 others rescued with varying injuries after a three-storey shopping mall collapsed at Oluti Bus Stop along Old Ojo Road, Alakija, Lagos.

The incident, residents said, occurred around 10am, long after shipowners and customers resumed the day’s business.

The collapsed structure, located opposite Eternal Oil Filling Station, attracted huge crowd which took the intervention of the Nigeria Police and Navy personnel to control so rescuers can access the scene.

Multiple victims, including children were still feared trapped beneath the rubble at the time of this report.

The building, which housed shops selling generators, a cyber café, and point-of-sale services, was said to have shown structural cracks since Tuesday.

Residents said the Lagos State Government had previously marked it with a red warning for evacuation, and that at least one tenant vacated the premises two years ago over safety concerns.

Twelve persons, including children and infants, had been rescued alive as of the time of filing this report, while casualties were also recovered from the rubble. All rescued victims and casualties were taken to Navy Town Hospital, Alakija.

Emergency responders at the scene include the police, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the military, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and other response teams. Rescue operations were ongoing at press time.

A police officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that several persons remained trapped beneath the debris as emergency responders worked to reach them.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and grief. One witness, Musa, said he was riding his motorcycle towards Mile 2 when he heard a loud noise behind him.

“I drove to the front quickly and then turned back and saw that the mall had collapsed,” he said.

Another witness, who had arrived at a shop near the building moments before the collapse, said: “I heard a loud noise with smoke everywhere. I was carrying my child, not knowing which direction to run.”

A third witness drew attention to survivors still buried in the debris: “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.”

One eyewitness, visibly distraught, confirmed losing a friend in the collapse: “He was about running out when the block hit him down.”

In a moment of relief amid the tragedy, a boy was rescued from the rubble, prompting jubilation from the crowd.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity, said her boss had vacated his cyber café in the building two years ago after noticing distress signs. “The building was giving signs that it would collapse,” she said.

Relatives of those still trapped gathered at the scene, praying and pleading for their loved ones to be brought out alive as rescue efforts continued.

Controller General of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirned the casualty figure at the time of this report, assuring that rescue efforts were still ongoing.

The agency said a distress call was received at 11:37am, adding that it mobilised emergency responders from Ijegun-Egba Fire Station, who arrived at the scene at 11:49am.

The service said the rescued persons sustained varying degrees of injuries and have been handed over to medical personnel for treatment.

The agencies said rescue operations would continue and updates provided as the need arises.

They also appealed to the public to avoid the scene and allow emergency responders unrestricted access.

The Police, Navy, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society are also participating in the rescue operation.