Students and teachers of a private school in the Ogba area of Lagos narrowly escaped what could have been a tragic disaster on Monday after a four-storey building housing their institution collapsed barely minutes after they were evacuated from the premises.

The structure, which accommodated Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, gave way at about midday at 11 Adudatu Street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda axis of Ogba, sending shockwaves through the quiet residential neighbourhood.

Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed roughly three minutes after students and teachers were hurriedly moved out of the structure following signs that the building might be unsafe.

Residents described the incident as a “miracle escape,” noting that the outcome could have been catastrophic if the evacuation had been delayed.

A resident who spoke with reporters said concerns were first raised when wooden planks reportedly fell from the roof, triggering alarm among people living around the school.

“The students narrowly escaped the incident. It was just about three minutes after they were evacuated from the building that the structure collapsed,” the resident said. “There was no clear sign earlier that the building would suddenly come down.”

According to the resident, an elderly man in the neighbourhood had alerted the school authorities after noticing unusual signs from the structure, prompting the quick evacuation of students and staff.

Another resident, Taiwo Ridwan, said the building had begun to show visible signs of structural distress shortly before it collapsed.

“At first, the house started cracking little by little. The window frames had already fallen apart. After some minutes, the cement body of the house began peeling off,” Ridwan explained. “Not long after that, the building just sank.”

Panic gripped the area as residents rushed out of their homes following a loud rumbling sound when the structure eventually gave way, leaving behind a heap of concrete and debris.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later arrived at the scene to secure the area and prevent residents from accessing the site, while emergency responders assessed the situation.

Interestingly, a section of the property reportedly used for residential purposes remained standing beside the collapsed structure.

As of the time of filing this report, no casualties had been recorded, a development residents attributed to the swift evacuation of the occupants.

Residents in the area have since called on relevant government agencies to investigate the incident and intensify monitoring of buildings across the city to prevent similar occurrences.

The incident adds to growing concerns about building safety in Lagos, where cases of structural failure have occasionally resulted in loss of lives and property.