Two injured as building with over ‘500 rooms’ collapses in Lagos

A building with over 500 rooms in the Ketu area of Lagos state has partially collapsed, injuring two residents.

The building, initially built as a school but converted to a residential apartment, partially collapsed on Saturday during heavy rainfall.

On Sunday, another section of the building, which is located at Oduntan street, Kosofe, collapsed again.

In a statement, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said residents of the building have been asked to vacate the property.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the “collapse could be attributed to ageing and poor maintenance on the part of the owner” of the property.

“Upon arrival of the Agency’s responders at the incident scene, a 2-storey building and a 4-storey building situated beside each other was found to have collapsed,” the statement reads.

“Residents of the building have been asked to vacate the building under the supervision of the combined team of LASEMA, RRS, LABSCA and LNSC, in order to avert further secondary incidents.

“However, the said building will be pulled down as it has failed the structural integrity test as confirmed by LABSCA official at the scene, hence posing a threat to the public and adjoining buildings.”