NEMA Rescues Four as Another Building Collapse in Lagos

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), yesterday rescued four persons including two young boys, from different collapsed buildings across Lagos.

While a woman and a man were rescued under the rubbles of the three-storey building of a church that collapsed on Tuesday at Ojodu-Berger, the teenagers were rescued from yet another building that collapsed yesterday in Ikorodu. Another building also collapsed in Bariga too.

The state has recorded an alarming increase in the number of building collapse in recent months, with loss of life and destruction of properties. Confirming the incidents, the spokesperson NEMA, South-west zone, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said they had to continue rescue operations at Ojodu because of the five persons trapped underneath the rubbles.

As at press time, he said a woman and the man were detected under the rubbles and rescue efforts succeeded in bringing them out alive.

He said, "Inspite of our earlier decision to end rescue operations at Ojodu-Berger, we had to continue following distress calls by residents who insisted that some people were still under the rubbles.

"After the rescue operations,  we had to carry out integrity tests on the buildings around the collapsed house and we discovered that 12 flats of two-storey building failed the test and we have served the occupants notice to vacate."

He said the incident spurred NEMA to make public their official number so that people could report cases of deficient structures in their environment.

He disclosed that so far, over 36 cases have been reported in different parts of the state, adding that the integrity test would be carried out on all of them.

While calling on residents to report buildings suspected to be under threat of collapse, Farinloye reiterated that NEMA and Lagos Building Inspection personnel have been deployed to checkmate such incidents from occurring by using preventive measures.