Four bodies recovered, five rescued from collapsed building in Lagos (updated)

Four bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a two-storey building under construction on Freeman road in Lagos Island.

The building collapsed on Saturday.

Giving an update on the rescue operations as of Sunday morning, Ibrahim Farinloye, zonal coordinator, south-west, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said five people were also rescued.

“The building crumbled during a downpour at about 1:45 pm on Saturday,” he said while addressing journalists.

“The building was bequeathed to the family members and some of the family members awarded it to a developer who was converting the bungalow building into a three-storey building, before it collapsed.”

According to NAN, Farinloye also said Alayaki lane, where the building is located, contains a cluster of buildings, adding that rescue operations are affected by the lack of space in the area.

He, however, gave the assurance that emergency responders will work towards getting to ground zero.

He also said no resident has declared their relatives missing.

Aside from NEMA, firefighters, as well as officers of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and Nigeria Red Cross, are at the scene of the incident.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary, LASEMA, had said the building, located at 4, Alayaki lane, Lagos Island, had been sealed over safety precautions.

“The Agency responded to the above incident which was already in violation of building safety protocols,” the statement reads.

“It was discovered that the building had been captured by the LASBCA District Office and served with all Statutory Notices, sealed at District and Central Enforcement Level.

“Further investigation determined that the developer had continued clandestine operations mostly at night and at the weekends.”

Meanwhile, the Saturday incident was the third building collapse recorded in May 2022 in the state.

On May 7, a two-storey building collapsed at Ago Palace way.

Days before that incident, more than 20 persons were confirmed dead after a three-storey building collapsed in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos state.

Meanwhile, on May 11, the state government had ordered the immediate stoppage of approval for structures above three floors in the Ebute Metta East and west axis of the state.