Two dead, others trapped in Lagos building collapse

Two unidentified people were killed when a seven-story building under construction on Oba Idou Onir Street on Victoria Island in Lagos state collapsed on Sunday.

PUNCH Metro noted that victims were at the scene when the building collapsed around 3 a.m. Sunday.

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Some residents narrowly escaped death, but it was revealed that there were unfortunate people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.Information Guide Nigeria

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Our correspondent who visited the scene observed sympathizers gathering around the entrance to the collapsed building.
Emergency responders, including officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, National Emergency Management Authority, police and others, were also observed conducting search and rescue operations to rescue trapped victims. Our correspondent also observed that when the building under construction collapsed, it landed on an adjacent one-story building, damaging part of the building.

A resident of the one-storied house, named Segun for safety reasons, said he fell asleep after hearing loud noises.

In his words: “We almost died when the building collapsed. It was the first floor that collapsed on our apartment that woke us. We were still arguing whether the remaining would collapse or not when the whole building caved in.

“We were trapped inside when it happened. We could not open the door; we had to come out through the window. I don’t sleep anytime I come to Lagos because of this building.

“I know an old man who is a bricklayer on the site of the collapsed building. He is about 75-year-old and I still saw him yesterday afternoon,” Segun said.

Idris, a worker at a construction site across from the collapsed structure, claimed to have seen some structural flaws when the building was still being constructed and added that the structure was under a significant amount of pressure.

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Idris said, “I am aware that the building started from scratch around June 2021. I noticed a bend in the building when it got to the fourth floor but couldn’t complain to anyone in order to avoid embarrassment or being seen as an intruder.

A security man at the site of the collapsed building, who gave his name only as Abdullahi, said he escaped the tragedy because he doesn’t sleep at night while guarding the building, adding that some workers were sleeping when it started shaking.

He said, “There were too many complaints of missing building materials stolen from the site at night, so I was much awake when the incident happened.

“I was standing at the security post away from the uncompleted building when it started shaking. I quickly called out to the workers who were still sleeping at that time, but it was too late for many of them to respond before the building collapsed.

“About seven of them were trapped under the rubble of the seven-storey building, but two have been brought out dead. I don’t know if the rest are dead or alive. I am so shocked right now.”

Contacted, the Lagos Territorial Coordinator, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the search and rescue was still ongoing, adding that the operation was at ground zero.

“As earlier stated, two bodies have been found and six others are said to be trapped down in the rubble of the building. The rescue team is currently at ground zero and the rubble has been turned over to make sure there are no survivors or dead bodies still trapped in the rubble.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, in his reaction to the development, said, “Two bodies have been recovered so far. No arrest has been made and once we apprehend anyone, we will inform the public.”

However, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, in a statement, ordered the arrest of the developer and other professionals involved in the collapsed building.

The statement read in part, “The developer and professionals on the building are liable for their disregard for the planning laws of the state, having embarked on construction without a valid planning permit and ignoring official warnings against continuing the building works.”

Source: PUNCH

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