The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey shopping complex in the Alakija area along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway has risen to eight, while 26 people have been rescued alive, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

The incident occurred on Thursday, prompting an immediate multi-agency rescue operation involving LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, emergency responders and other stakeholders.

According to Punch Newspapers, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said rescue teams have continued searching the rubble for anyone still trapped.

“As of 4:20 p.m., a total of 26 persons have been rescued alive, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl,” he said.

Earlier in the day, emergency officials had confirmed that two people were rescued alive and one deceased adult male was recovered before the casualty figures increased as rescue efforts progressed.

Authorities said heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, was deployed to speed up access to sections of the collapsed structure, which housed shops and business premises. Reports indicated that several shop owners who had resumed business on Thursday could still have been trapped beneath the debris.

The agency urged residents to stay away from the scene to allow emergency workers unrestricted access as search and rescue operations continue.

Earlier updates from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reported that 16 people had been rescued and two bodies recovered before LASEMA released its latest casualty figures.

The latest incident comes weeks after a three-storey building under construction partially collapsed in Lekki Phase 1, resulting in one death.