5 feared dead, owner, others trapped in Lagos building collapse

. Six rescued from rubble

..Deputy gov visits scene of incident

.Buhari condoles with victims

.Sanwo-Olu orders probe

IBRAHIM QUADRI, with agency report

 

Many workers are feared trapped in a 21-storey building under construction which collapsed on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday.

But the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), stated that it was a 25-storey building, while the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, put the number of dead victims at four

An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity that the building collapsed around 2.30 p.m.

The witness, who is also a worker on site, said that five dead bodies were seen at the top of the rubbles of the collapsed building.

 NAN also saw two bodies being removed away from the rubbles shortly before emergency responders, comprising Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency and Lagos Building Control Agency arrived at the building site.

As of 4.50 p.m., no official rescue operation had begun.

NAN reports those angry youths and some of the workers were seen doing the little they could.

Excavators from the relevant agencies were still been awaited as at 5.45 p.m. while crowd control remained a challenge at the scene.

Later the spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Agency, Nosa Okunbo, confirmed the collapse, saying, “A 25-storey building collapsed by Musliu Junction, Ikoyi, Lagos. LASEMA is on top of the situation.”

Also, the Director-General of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, noted that heavy-duty equipment and life detection equipment have been deployed to the scene.

Giving an update, Oke-Osanyintolu said, “Collapsed Building at Gerard Road, Ikoyi: The agency has activated its emergency response plan to the above incident.

“All first responders are en route to secure the scene while the heavy-duty equipment and life detection equipment have been dispatched.”

It was reported that three persons rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building by volunteers and emergency agencies on the ground were rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Babafemi Hamzat, arrived at the scene of the incident.

Also, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Odumosu, who spoke to newsmen at the scene of the incident, said four persons were confirmed dead and their bodies recovered from the collapsed building while effort was ongoing to ensure more rescue as of the time of filing this report.

CP Odumosu, however, could not ascertain the cause of the collapse, saying it should be left to technical experts.

Meanwhile, according to statistics made available by the recue team, at least four persons have been reported to have died and six others rescued by the joint emergency rescue team from the rubble of a 21-storey building under construction.

 Aside from the four dead and six victims rescued through the aid of an excavator, Daily Champion learnt that over 15 people including the property owner, identified as Femi Osibona, who reported to be on site before it collapsed, were still trapped under rubble of the building sited on 44BCD Gerrard road, Ikoyi.

 These victims were brought out from the building by a joint emergency rescue team that include officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Police as well as Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

The Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, in an update said: “We are on ground and mobilising resources,”

He added that the collapsed building was a multi-purpose structure.

Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu when contacted confirmed that the collapsed building was 21-storey.

Osanyintolu said the agency had activated its emergency response plan to the scene of the incident.

“All first responders are en-route to secure the scene while the heavy duty equipment and life detection equipment have been dispatched”, he said.

 In a statement signed by Mukaila Sanusi, Deputy Director, Public Affairs of LASEMA, he stated, “With the combined efforts of the Lagos Rescue Unit(LRU), Lagos State Fire Service and LASAMBUS, not less than three victims of the collapsed 22-storey building on Gerald Road, Ikoyi were rescue alive, while rescue operations continued.

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and other State functionaries, including the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, Commissioner for Special duty, Mr. Bamgbose- Martins, Special Adviser, Urban Development,  Hon. Ganiyu Adele Ayuba, Special Adviser,  GIS and Physical Planning, Dr. Olajide Babatunde,  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development as well as General Manager,  LASEMA Dr. Femi Oke- Osanyintolu arrived at scene to muster help for people trapped in the collapsed building.

“However, investigations were still on as to the cause of the collapse, while the General Managers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority were on ground to make summary assessment on the spot of the extent of damage to the surrounding structures, if any.”

Speaking at the scene, the Deputy Governor noted that it was important to cordon off the scene of the incident to facilitate efforts of professional rescuers and limit casualty.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Government has called for calm over the collapse Monday  of a 21-storey building, which is under construction on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.