Lagos Building Collapse: Several Killed, 16 Rescued

Following the collapse of a four-storey building in Lagos on Tuesday, at least 16 people have been rescued from the debris and several others feared dead.

The constant rain in Lagos, weak members of the building and the obsolescent nature of the storey building are presumed to have caused the building to cave in.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m, at Massey/Karena Street, off Campus Bus Stop, Lagos Island.

Residents said that a telecommunication mast that was erected on the building two weeks ago, in addition to the obsolete nature of the structure could have also contributed to its collapse.

The people who were rescued include five children and 10 adults as at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Further reports gathered from residents of the area indicate that at least five persons were still trapped under the rubble.

It was learnt that a restaurant owner on the ground floor escaped by whiskers but her workers and customers who were eating were among those trapped. She stepped out of the shop minutes before the incident happened.

Two other female traders are also said to be trapped under the debris.

Irritant crowd who gather at the scene of the wreckage stagnated efforts made by the operatives of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) from carrying out their duty and also threatened journalists recording the incident.

Efforts made by the policemen and the operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to control the huge crowd were unsuccessful.

Also emergency and rescue workers had difficulty rescuing trapped victims due to the closeness and lack of place between the affected building and its neigbouring buildings.

LASEMA’s General Manager, Adesina Tiamiyu, who led emergency and rescue workers to the scene of the incident, said over 10 victims have been rescued.

The LASEMA Boss appealed to the onlookers to allow rescue workers do their jobs, insisting that their primary main was to safe life.

“Honestly, it will be inappropriate for me to grant any interview now because people are trapped under the rubble. Besides, I can’t give you any statistics yet. I know that over 10 persons have been rescued.

“You can see how tense the environment is. The people are not cooperating and I wouldn’t want to add more tension by upsetting them. I will grant interviews when we are sure no one is trapped underneath the debris,” he added.