Two rescued, others trapped as three- storey building collapses in Lagos

By Oladunni Kujore

Two construction workers were reportedly rescued on Saturday while three others were trapped in Yaba area of Lagos following the collapse of a three-storey building.

The building said to be under construction as at the time of the collapse was located at 16 Akanbi Crescent, off Adesina Street, Harvey, Sabo Yaba, a shirt distance from the main entrance of University of Lagos.

Eyewitnesses' accounts said the construction workers were at their various duty posts when the building collapsed on them. 

However, two of them were rescued from the rubble immediately the incident occurred.

An eyewitness, Alhaja Adeoye Adesewa said the building had suffered partial collapse in 2021 but this did not stop the ongoing construction.

She said, "we are not surprised at today's building collapse because part of it collapsed last year and we thought that the government would stop further construction on it but we were wrong," she said.

The Director- General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the incident but did not give further details on it.

At press time, it was learnt that rescue operations were ongoing at the site of the building which led to the rescue of two of the victims while the remaining were yet to be rescued. 

The rescue operations were jointly performed by LASEMA, National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, fire fighters, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria  Red Cross and other sister agencies.

 NEMA Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed that five persons were trapped underneath the ribbles while two of them were rescued. He said, "A three- storey building under construction at 16 Akanbi crescent  off Adesina Adesina Street, Harvey, Sabo Yaba collapsed trapping about 5 workers.

"Two of them have been rescued alive.

Heavy duty equipment are being mobilised to the scene though frustrating heavy traffic gridlock is not helping in response," said the Coordinator. 

The Saturday incident occurred barely three months after a 21-storey Ikoyi building collapsed in Ikoyi area of Lagos killing  many people.

Recall that Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Special Investigation Panel (SIP), George Okonoma and his team, earlier in the week, submitted a report on the 21-storey Ikoyi building collapse to the president of COREN, Engr. Rabiu Ali.

Okonoma presented the report and recommendations to the council’s president at COREN’s headquarters, Abuja.

He said the report was meant for the COREN president and the government to study before making it available to the public.

Apart from the Ikoyi building collapse, series of building collapse were recorded in Lagos State in the year 2021 out of which was a two-storey building which collapsed in October at 97, Lagos Road, Haruna area, in Ikorodu where three people were reportedly missing while two others were rescued.

Also in November, four people reportedly died while five others were injured when a one-storey building under construction collapsed at Flourmill Estate, Magbon, near Badagry, Lagos State.