Lagos three- story building collapse: 10 bodies recovered
On Monday, as mangled remains of victims were evacuated from the rubbles of a collapsed three-story building in Lagos’ Ebute-Metta neighborhood, there was screaming and wailing.
Many individuals were trapped at the start of the rescue efforts, which included the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Fire Service, among others.
Many mangled bodies were discovered dead as bulldozers sifted through the rubbles, and by the time rescuers arrived at ground zero at 5 p.m. yesterday, the death toll had grown to ten, with 24 people saved.
“As we attain ground zero of the search and rescue operations, it is to be noted that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service can account for the followings,” the Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, stated in an update emailed to one of our journalists by 6 p.m.
“A total of twenty-four (24) people were rescued alive, with varied degrees of injuries and all in stable condition, including two (2) people who are responding to treatment; Ten (ten) people have been found deceased, six (six) men and four (four) women; all first and main responders are still working together to clean up the situation.”
The mutilated bodies of a 68-year-old lady named as Mama Tahir and her son, Tahir, who were hauled out from under the wreckage of the collapsed building were among the first recoveries at the scene.
Ibrahim, the deceased’s father, sat wearily across the street from the house as the bodies of his wife and son were taken away by medical personnel.
“Every morning and evening during Ramadan prayers, Mama Tahir joined us. “We never expected it to end this way,” a neighbor named Tawa remarked, her eyes welling up with sorrow.
Mama, as she was known, was full of life on the day of the incident, she said, roaming from one end of the house to the other and conversing with other residents.
She continued, “It was as though Mama wanted us to talk before she left this sinful world.”
Ibrahim, 70, fought back tears as he watched from afar as his 24-year-old son and wife’s bodies were brought out. As some of his neighbors sat with him, the mood was gloomy.
Hours later, though, rescuers brought the body of another four-year-old kid, causing more weeping.
Alhaja Agba, an elderly woman who also lived in the ill-fated house, told newsmen that life had lost its zest for her after watching helplessly as her loved ones’ lifeless remains were dragged out.
Baba Sule, who had left the house just minutes before it collapsed, said he was saved by God.
“I would have been among those trapped. I had this restless feeling on Sunday night and could not stay in my apartment.
“I stepped out to gist with a friend of mine who resides in the opposite house. We were just discussing the fasting and the excitement that follows the end of Ramadan when suddenly, I heard a noise.
“I count myself lucky because my wife and children were not at home at the time of the incident. I wonder what would have been my fate if they were around. I am not rejoicing because some of my neighbours died in the incident but what would I do? After all, I am human,” he added.
How I escaped death – Survivor
Another tenant at the ill-fated building, Engineer Adegoke Ogunbabi, narrated his close shave with death, saying he was asleep when the building caved in.
The survivor said he firmly believed that help would come his way as the building crumbled.
Ogunbambi said he had been living in the building for 10 years, adding that his room was on the last floor.
He said, “I was on my bed when the building collapsed. I normally do exercise because I had a spinal cord injury.
“God was my saviour. I slept around 7pm. A neighbour called me but I didn’t pick up the call because I hate disturbance while sleeping. Someone else called me around 9.30pm. I was hearing some sounds and noticed that the building was collapsing.
“I was not properly dressed. I didn’t entertain fear. I was determined that whatever God wishes would happen. I was assuring myself that I would be safe and God did it. Someone came to rescue me.”
Ogunbabi, who said the landlord didn’t reside in the building, expressed grief over the loss of his neighbours to the tragedy.
“I feel bad that some people died, especially a young man called David. He always played with me,” he added.
‘We gave occupants quit notice’
One of the children of the owner of the house who also claimed to be the family secretary, Oluyomi Adejare, told one of our correspondents that they had long issued all the tenants quit notice when they discovered the house was showing signs of distress, but rather than move out the tenants decided to threaten them with a lawsuit.
“We asked them to vacate the house when we saw officials of the state government building agency coming and going. They told us that the house was not habitable. But the tenants turned deaf ears to all entreaties for them to leave.
“The house was built 20-years ago by a developer. In fact, the developer was going to hand over the house to us in May this year, but see what had happened.
“The managing director of the firm that developed the house died about ten years ago, but his wife only believes in collecting money from the tenants,” he added.
The 20-year-old building housing about 20 families, mostly traders and their families collapsed on Sunday night in Ebute-Metta, a congested location in Lagos.
Emergency efforts were hampered because vehicles had difficulty navigating the neighbourhood’s alleyways.
Officials evacuate residents in another distressed building
Residents of an adjacent building believed to be in distress were evacuated, as confirmed by the NEMA Lagos Territorial Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye.
Local residents who were first to arrive at the accident site used bare hands to dig into the piles of concrete and bricks until they were joined by police and firefighters from the state fire service.
Lawmaker demands measures to avert recurrence
Meanwhile, a lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 1, Owolabi Ajani, has sympathised with families who lost their loved ones in the incident.
Ajani in a statement on Monday urged the relevant agencies to put in place measures to prevent a recurrence, describing the tragedy as heartbreaking.
The statement read in part, “It was a dark and gloomy night. While many others were preparing for this joyous day, last night was about a heavy rescue mission for victims of the Ebute-Metta building collapse. Our thoughts are with them.
“I think it is high time concerned agencies took more measures in ensuring that such an occurrence does not recur. We don’t want the loss of healthy family members in Lagos Mainland. We don’t want to sleep on our beds with fears that people could lose their lives while in their comfort zones.”
Experts fault regulatory failure
Former President of the Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers, Victor Oyetuga faulted the failure of those concerned to regularly examine some of the old buildings.
“The problem is that when things are being done, the persons doing it are not being sincere and that is the issue. It is just a matter of examining the old buildings and seeing if the right thing has been done and those buildings can be corrected.
He said the children are only “Interested in getting naira and kobo. We have more than enough laws to guide against but the problem is implementation. It is not that the government is devoid of ideas.”
Former Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja Branch, Akin Akintola said the government has a lot of work to do in carrying out integrity tests on old buildings in the state.
He also noted that the state Building Control Agency is over-worked and said the local government should be empowered.
“Until we start giving recognition to local governments; this is one of the responsibilities of local government. What we have in the state should be reciprocated at the local government level.
“We will keep having these types of collapsed buildings until we start doing the right thing,” he added.
Source- DailyTrust
