The National Emergency Management Agency on Friday said four persons died while one was rescued in the building that collapsed at Oye Sonuga Street, Palm Avenue, in Mushin, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the NEMA South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, spoke during a telephone interview. He said two males and two females died, while one person was rescued in the building collapse.
Earlier, the Lagos State Government also said it would investigate the cause of the collapse. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, made the disclosure in a statement obtained by NAN.
During a visit to the scene of the three-storey building, which was said to be about 40 years old, he directed that it should be pulled down immediately for safety reasons and to forestall further collapse. He directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory to unravel the cause of the collapse.
Residents of the collapsed building also attempted to save their belongings after its remaining parts were demolished.
It was also observed that the collapsed building affected some parts of the adjoining building.
A few of the residents, who spoke to one of our correspondents, stated that the building had shown distress signs.
An occupant of the building identified only as Baba Wale said, “Yes, the house was weak. The collapsed building is where I live. I was able to get out uninjured.”
Another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said he hurriedly returned home after he got a call about the incident and was trying to save some of his property.
A middle-aged man in the adjoining building identified only as Daddy Tola said, “The first building collapsed and it affected the other three-storey building beside it. Sometimes, a house will give signs before it collapses. Every one of us is trying to bring out our belongings because we have been told it will be demolished.”
An eyewitness, Mr Oyeniran Ayo, stated that he heard the sound of the collapse as he moved around the street.
Ten buildings have collapsed in Lagos State this year.
On September 4, a seven-storey building under construction at Oba Idowu Street, Victoria Island caved in and two people were reported dead. In the last two years, 84 persons have died in 18 building collapses in the state. A United States non-profit organisation, Brookings Institution stated that between 2000 and 2021, Lagos recorded 167 reported cases of building collapse.
