BREAKING NEWS, Environment
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A FIVE-STOREY building under construction collapsed early on Tuesday, March 7, in Lekki, Lagos, killing 18 people, including a woman and her child.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA rescued 13 people from the rubble.
Ibrahim Farinloye, media coordinator of the NEMA South-West, confirmed the death toll and the number of those rescued.
The incident occurred at Horizon 1, Lekki Gardens in Ikate, at about 3am when it was raining heavily. Many workers believed to have been trapped in the building.
It was learnt that the occupants were workers on the site and squatters who slept in the building after giving a tip to security men.
It was also learnt that the land was reclaimed in 2012 while the construction started in 2014.
Lekki Gardens, the owners of the building, claimed to have ordered stoppage of work in January at the site when it was discovered that substandard materials were being used.
It was also learnt that a woman and her two children who came to Nigeria on Monday, March 6, from Cotonou, Republic of Benin, were among those who remained trapped in the rubble last night.
The woman was said to have travelled to Lagos since her husband had not visited the family for some time.
According to Fidelis Anjolo, an iron bender, the woman did not believe her husband’s story that he was being owed as a result of which he could not travel back to see his family.
Tunde Busari, a survivor and welder from Ibadan, said the beam was faulty and he complained about it three months ago.
“I have been working with Engineer Henry for a long time. The error on the building came from the piling. It was noticed three months ago and I told them and they brought another contractor to do supporting piling. “Part of the beam was going down. The engineer that was brought gave assurance that it won’t happen again. The guy who was brought out dead with me is a carpenter. His name is Sunday and he came from Abeokuta.”
A sobbing woman said her son Yinka was among the victims. The woman, who spoke in Yoruba, said: “Yinka is my first born and his father died last year. Yinka’s girlfriend called me before I came here.”
— Mar 9, 2016 @ 14:40 GMT
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