Many trapped as 21-storey building collapses in Lagos

A 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area of Lagos state collapsed on Monday afternoon.

TheCable understands that the building is situated along Gerard Road in Ikoyi.

According to eyewitnesses, several people are believed to be trapped inside the building.

So far, there is no report of fatalities from the site of the collapse.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) says it has activated its emergency response plan to deal with the situation.

Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, director-general, LASEMA, said: “All first responders are enroute to secure the scene while the heavy duty equipment and life detection equipment have been dispatched.”

To limit the frequency of building collapse incidents in Lagos, the state government recently launched a rebranded certificate of completion and fitness.

The objective of the certificate is to safeguard the lives of residents and address the root causes of building collapse incidents.

Following the launch, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) was empowered with the mandate of issuing the certificate to all existing and new buildings.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos governor, had linked previous building collapse incidents recorded in the state to low compliance to physical planning laws.