- LASG demolishes adjacent building.
- Building already showed signs of distress-Eyewitness.
By Iffy.
A Three storey building caved in on Oyesonuga Street, Palm Avenue, off Oye Roundabout, Isolo Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, killing at least four persons while three others were rescued.
The tragedy which occurred amidst heavy rainfall on Friday, had men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, and Lagos State Rescue and Fire Service, Nigeria Police, among others, race to the scene on rescue mission.
It was gathered that sympathisers and first aid workers rescued the survivors before the arrival of emergency responders.
According to eyewitness, Mr. Tunde Ariyo,
“An adult and a child were initially rescued alive, other three persons are still in the rubble and they could be dead or alive by now.”
The Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, further revealed that the collapsed building was an adjoining building to another three-storey building, and when the rescue team got to the scene there were visible cracks on the remaining standing building that required urgent attention, forcing them to pull it down for safety.
“About eight people were said to be trapped inside the building, four, (two males and two females) were recovered dead, while three others were rescued and treated,” Oke-Osanyitolu stated.
However, the rescue team had a hectic time controlling the surging crowd before it later cordon off the area and occupants evacuated.
Reacting to the incident, a petty trader who deals in soft drinks in the building, identified as, Mrs. Bassey, said,
“the building has been showing signs of distress but the landlord kept re-fixing it partially. I wonder why Government agents did not notice it.”
She mentioned that her refrigerator was recently stocked up before the building went down and pleaded for access to remove it and salvage some of her wares under the rubble.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, reacting to the unfortunate incident, said
the state Government has directed prompt investigation, adding that;
“The incident which occurred midday on Friday was as a result of a partial collapse of a building that is over 40 years old and moves are being made by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory to determine the cause of the collapse.”
Bamgbose-Martins, expressed regret over the occurrence, saying that “effort is on to pull out those that might be trapped in the rubble.”
