Building collapse: Lagos declares three days of mourning

The Lagos state government has declared three days of mourning for victims of the Ikoyi building collapse.

The building collapsed on Monday afternoon, with over 30 bodies recovered so far.

According to a statement by Gbenga Omotoso, Lagos commissioner for information, flags are also expected to be flown at half-mast during the mourning period.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared three days of mourning over the Ikoyi building collapse, which occurred on Monday. No fewer than 32 persons are believed to have died in the incident,” the statement reads.

“All flags are to be flown at half-mast in public and private buildings and official engagements cancelled during the mourning period.

“The Lagos State Government, once again, commiserates with all those who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate incident.”

Earlier on Thursday, Sanwo-Olu had visited the site and urged family members who believe their loved ones may be trapped in the rubble to register with the state government.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), we opened a register for people that have missing persons or loved ones whom they believed must have been at the site before the collapse,” he said.

“As I speak here, it is only 19 names of missing persons that have been registered. Some of them have pictures, others do not. This list would help us to get information on manifest of those at the site.”

He added that the coroner has been given till Friday to conclude work on the bodies so that family members can identify their loved ones.

“We are conducting a coroner inquest on the bodies and by tomorrow (Friday), we hope the exercise would have been concluded. That is the deadline we gave to the coroner, so that the families can come and identify the bodies recovered so far,” he said.