Four confirmed dead, as another high-rise building collapses in Lagos

Four people have died while five others were injured when a one-storey building under construction collapsed on Wednesday at Flourmill Estate, Magbon, near Badagry, Lagos State.

A witness, Oluwagbenga Ogundele, told newsmen that the building collapsed on the nine construction workers on-site around 3 p.m.

Mr Ogundele, who works as a security guard near the site, also said that residents were alerted to the scene by a visitor to the site.

“The visitor was not in the building when it collapse, it was him that called for assistance while policemen from Area ‘K’ came to rescue them.

“We were able to rescue five alive because they were calling for help, while four of them gave up the ghost.

“Police, Fire Brigade and our intervention saved those that survived,” the witness told NAN.

The five injured labourers were taken to Catholic Church Hospital, Magbon, while the four dead bodies had been deposited at Badagry General Hospital mortuary.

One of the elders in the Estate who spoke on condition of anonymity informed that the building had been abandoned by the owner for close to six years before work resumed on it recently.

“It was recently that a new owner started building another floor on top to make it a storey building.

“Around 3p.m., we had a loud sound and when we got to the scene, the building had collapsed on the labourers working inside it,” he said.

Ibrahim Farinloye, South-West Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the incident.

Farinloye said that four persons died while five sustained injuries during the collapse.

Lagos State Building Agency, LABCA, has sealed up the premises of the collapsed building.

It would be recalled that a 21-storey building collapsed, penultimate Monday afternoon, November 1, at the Gerard Road area of Ikoyi, in Lagos, killing well over 40 persons, mostly workers at the construction site.

The State Government has since announced the ‘immediate and indefinite’ suspension of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki over his role in the events leading to the accident.

The state government also announced the setting up of an independent panel to probe the collapse of the 21-storey building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, as it further informed that members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.

The panel will investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence.

“The Lagos State Government is setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the 21-storey building on Gerard Road, Ikoyi. Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.

“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government,” the state government announced.

Additional source courtesy: NAN