Two people have died after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos on Sunday, an official said.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the southwest coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said on Monday that officials rescued 23 people – 22 males and one female.
The incident happened when the residents had gone to bed, he added.The building, situated on 24 Ibadan Street, Ebutte Meta was said to have caved in around 10:56 O’clock on Sunday night with most of the occupants inside.
Inspite of those successfully removed from the collapsed building, residents claimed that more people were still trapped and needed to be rescued.
Confirming the number of deceased and people rescued, LASEMA boss, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that the building came down at about 10.56 pm with a yet undetermined number of people trapped.
“But so far, we have rescued 23 people, including 22 males and one female. Unfortunately, two occupants of the building have been recovered dead. They include a male and female”.
The number of people who have died in a building collapse that occurred on Sunday in Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta area of Lagos State, has increased to eight.
A statement by the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed the development on Monday.
“Two male additional bodies recovered, making eight deaths,” the acting coordinator, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said.
The recovered corpses were deposited in some of the vehicles the emergency responders brought to the scene of the incident.
Thereafter, the corpses were taken to the mortuary.
NEMA officials, alongside other emergency response agencies including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service; the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, and the police, had commenced a search and rescue operation immediately the three-storey building caved in late Sunday.
No not less than 23 persons including children were said to have been rescued alive.
The occupants were said to be in their various apartments when the building suddenly collapsed and trapped some of them.
Farinloye, who had confirmed the death of five occupants, said the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition.
He said, “Another three-storey building, on Lagos Street, about 200 metres away from the current scene has shown signs of distress with part throwing pebbles and falling off.
“The building had also been marked as distressed but the occupants were deviant.
However, the building has re-sealed and occupants evacuated by officers of Lagos State Buildings Control Agency.
“Four deaths including two male and two female. 23 people have been rescued alive including seven children and 16 adults. Another young man, Tahin has just been recovered making five deaths.”
The Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement late Sunday, had said some of the injured victims were rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment
