One Dead, Two Injured In Separate Building Collapse In Lagos

collapsed

A building under construction collapsed at 6, Adenaike Alagbe Street,Ejina, in Ikorodu, Lagos, yesterday, injuring two children.

Another one located on 9, Shogbemu Street, Bariga reportedly left one person dead while two persons were rescued.

The three-storey building at Ikorodu which was said to have been marked for demolition before it caved in, reportedly collapsed at noon where two yet-to-be identified children were said to have been rescued from the building and rushed to the hospital. They were discharged from the hospital two hours later.

Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Lagos State, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed both incidents to Vanguard, saying rescue work was on-going.

However, Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, said the construction was not approved by government.

According to him, the area belonged to the Federal Government and claimed that the approval number written on the building was Federal Government’s permit.

He said the state would soon investigate what led to the collapse, noting: “We have already captured the permit of Federal Government on the land. When we are able to get the owners of the building, we will be able to confirm if the building permit was genuine. We also learnt that the building has been on for some time. Until we are able to sight the building plans before we will know whether it was a two-floor building that was approved or four storey-building. What the law states now is that after due process and if the result of the investigation indicates that the owner compromises, the property will be forfeited, and if we are able to get the professionals in charge, we will prosecute them.”

Deputy Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Lola Akande, has blamed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for the collapse of the building.

Akande, who visited the site, expressed shock over the incident, lamenting that the building had been marked for demolition, but was left undemolished until it collapsed, killing two people and injuring others.