An old three-storey building situated at Number 32, Ibadan Street, Herbert Macaulay Way in Ebute Metta area of Lagos State, on the night of Sunday 1st April 2022, collapsed from the foundation level.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:48pm, reported no casualty figure as at the time of the disaster because it was yet unknown. Rescue operations were ongoing when the incident was freshly reported to the public. .
In a statement, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service noted, “An alert of collapse of a three-storey building by 32 Ibadan Street, Ebute Meta was received at 21:48 hours, Sunday, with Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service already at the scene.”
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The fire service further informed that rescue operations had begun at the site to save anyone trapped in the building, assuring that everyone would be rescued.
According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, 20 persons were rescued alive while two who sustained severe injuries were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for treatment
Subsequently, on Monday, 2nd April 2022, the death toll from the collapsed building was reportedly five, based on the statement issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials who had been at the scene of the incident.
However, the Zonal Coordinator, South-West of the NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye disclosed to newsmen in Lagos that the deceased persons included three males and two females. He equally notified that the number of the rescued occupants remained at 23.
He went ahead to report that rescue operations were still ongoing at the site of the incident in search of four of the remaining occupants of the building.
Nigeria has, in recent times, become synonymous with building collapse. There’s no week, if not day, that passed, the public won’t be greeted with the news of a collapsed structure at a certain locality within the shores of the country.
The untold ordeal has continued unabated to the extent that people have begun to believe that it is a normal tradition among the Nigerian society. This is usually common among buildings built purposely for rent. This has made occupants (tenants) of many buildings in various cities across the federation to now sleep with one eye open.
The relevant authorities must at this juncture swing into action with a view to doing the needful. We can’t continue to repeat exactly the same thing as if the country doesn’t have extant laws guiding the people’s activities. A word is enough for the wise.