A two-storey building along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos collapsed on Friday morning, causing the death of at least three people, including a 12-year-old boy, and two middle-aged individuals.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, who is the Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the news of the collapse to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to Farinloye, the two-storey building which also had a penthouse, collapsed at about 9: 30am.
He further disclosed that the Lagos Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had issued evacuation notices several times and all the original occupants had moved out from the building.
- He said: “It was alleged that the property had been sold out about four months ago.
- “Three of the occupants jumped to safety with the assistance of the residents.”
Farinloye also disclosed that an ongoing search and rescue operation exercise is being undertaken by NEMA at the site of the collapse.
Cases of buildings collapse in Lagos in 2023
This year, 2023, there have been cases of several building collapses in Lagos, some of which had been reported by Nairametrics.
In April, Nairametrics reported that an unapproved seven-storey building that was under construction collapsed in Banana Island, Ikoyi.
The building which was situated on First Avenue in the exclusive neighbourhood trapped some workers under the rubble, however, no life was lost.
In September, a three-storey building located at Ikpoh Street, Surulere collapsed, however, there was no casualty recorded.
At least two persons are currently battling for life at a private hospital after a school-turned-residential building in the Ketu area of Lagos partially collapsed on Sunday.
The building housing over 500 rooms with hundreds of residents known as Agboye Estate on Oduntan Street, Ketu, first caved in on Saturday afternoon following hours of rainfall that greeted most parts of Lagos.
On Sunday afternoon, as residents were still trying to salvage their belongings, the building crumbled again, destroying another structure inside the compound before collapsing completely.
There was another incidence of building collapse in Lagos in November, involving a two-storey building.
The two-storey building was located at number 34 Oloto Street, Borno Way, off Freeman Street, Oyingbo, resulting in the death of a woman in her 80s.