Two Dead as Seven-Storey Building Collapses in Lagos

Developer, others  to be arrested

Rebecca Ejifoma

Two people were confirmed dead and six others were trapped after an eight-storey building collapsed on Oba Idowu Oniru Street, Oniru Estate in the Lekki area of Lagos.

The building was said to have crumbled at 3.30 am, leaving two males dead and six workers trapped on the third floor.

Although reports have it that the building was sealed on February 18 last year, it was still under construction before the tragic incident.

Confirming the report, the Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, noted that emergency responders mobilised to the scene immediately after they were alerted.

While the bodies recovered have been deposited at a morgue for autopsy, search and rescue operation had been intensified.

Emergency responders on ground included the police, NEMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and others.

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 said  it needed to deploy a heavy-duty equipment excavator for the rescue of the trapped victims.

Meanwhile, the  Lagos State Government has ordered the arrest of the developer and other building professionals working on the collapsed seven-storey building.

The order came from the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development,  Dr. Idris Salako, during his visit to the site. According to the commissioner, the developer and other professionals violated the state’s planning laws.

“There must be a valid Planning Permit from the aforementioned agency, in addition to a letter of Authorisation, Stage inspection at every milestone and certification by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), to ensure that construction works were carried out in conformity with the approval granted,”  he said,  according to a statement issued by the ministry.

“Disclosing that investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the building collapse, Salako said the Police are on the trail of the developer and all professionals involved in the project such as architects, builders, and engineers,” the statement noted.

“The commissioner expressed concern at the level of disregard for the law in the built sector, affirming that the State Government will restore sanity and orderliness to the sector because it has zero tolerance for building collapse.

“He enjoined Lagosians to join hands with the State Government in maintaining vigilance in the built environment by reporting any untoward developments in their vicinity, through any of the Ministry or State Government communication channels,  particularly the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban,” the statement added.