A 7-storey building under construction in the Lekki area of Lagos is reported to have collapsed on Sunday morning with 2 people confirmed dead and several people trapped.
According to a monitored report from Channels Television, the building which caved in and collapsed is situated at Oba Idowu Oniru Street by Ave Maria Hospital, near Sandfield Bus Stop, Lekki.
LASEMA, NEMA confirm incident
Although the immediate cause of the incident which was confirmed by the Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, is still unclear, emergency workers and security operatives have already moved to the site to possibly rescue the trapped victims.
Farinloye said, “Seven-storey building collapsed at Sand field bus stop, Lekki. Six people are said to be trapped and responders on ground.”
The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who also confirmed the incident, said that 6 persons were trapped, assuring that search and rescue operations have commenced at the site.
LASEMA said it responded to a distress call at the location at midnight and activated its response plan where six people were reported to have been trapped at the time.
The emergency management agency says it needed to deploy a heavy-duty equipment excavator for the rescue of the trapped victims.
Oke-Osanyintolu said, “Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, an uncompleted 7-storey building undergoing construction was found to have collapsed. Six people are reported to be trapped under the rubbles of the collapsed structure.
“The Agency’s heavy-duty equipment excavator will be required for the rescue of the trapped victims. We have activated the Lagos State Response plan. Operation ongoing.”
Meanwhile, rescue operations is still ongoing in order to save more victims from the scene of the building collapse with more updates expected to be given.
What you should know
- This new incident has added to several incidents of building collapse in the state with high casualty figures reported. This has called to question the unethical practices and substandard job done by the developers and poor supervisory work by the regulators.
- Recall that over 44 people lost their lives in November 2021, when a 21-storey high-rise building at Ikoyi collapsed. Also. In May 8 people were killed after a 3-storey building collapsed in Ebute-Metta.
- Another building in the Ago Palace Way area of Lagos State collapsed on May 7
