Three dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of the three-storey building which collapsed on Saturday.
Also, two other construction workers were reportedly rescued while three others were still trapped in the rubble.
The building said to be under construction as at the time of the collapse was located on 16 Akanbi Crescent, off Adesina Street, Harvey, Sabo Yaba, a short distance from the main entrance of University of Lagos.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts said the construction workers were at their various duty posts when the building collapsed on them.
However, two of them were rescued from the rubble immediately the incident occured in the afternoon.
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Meanwhile, construction workers of the collapsed three-storey building were said to have ignored distress signs of the building when neighbours drew their attention to it.
An eye witness, who pleaded anonymity said the building in question gave signs with rubbles throwing on Thursday and one of the neighbours called their attention to it, ” but they told the person off saying it was as a result of work going on,”
It was gathered that the building tilted forward before it caved in.
Another eyewitness, Alhaja Adeoye Adesewa said the building had suffered partial collapse in 2021 but this did not stop the ongoing construction.
She said, “we are not surprised at today’s building collapse because part of it collapsed last year and we thought that the government would stop further construction on it but we were wrong,” she said.
Rescue operations were yet ongoing at the site of the collapsed building.
The rescue operations were jointly performed by LASEMA, National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, fire fighters, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Red Cross and other sister agencies.
However, the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye said proper investigations into the cause of the incident will be conducted, “proper investigation on the case of the collapse will be carried out by the State to determine the cause of the collapse after the emergency phase,”
NEMA Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed that five persons were trapped underneath the rubbles while two of them were rescued. He said,
“Two of them have been rescued alive.
Heavy duty equipment are being mobilised to the scene though frustrating heavy traffic gridlock is not helping in response,” said the Coordinator.
The Saturday incident occured barely three months after a 21-storey Ikoyi building collapsed in Ikoyi area of Lagos killing many people.
Recall that Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Special Investigation Panel (SIP), George Okonoma and his team, earlier in the week, submitted a report on the 21-storey Ikoyi building collapse to the president of COREN, Engr. Rabiu Ali.
Apart from the Ikoyi building collapse, series of building collapse were recorded in Lagos State in the year 2021 out of which was a two-storey building which collapsed in October
Also in November, four people reportedly died while five others were injured when a one-storey building under construction collapsed at Flourmill Estate, Magbon, near Badagry, Lagos State.
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