EXCLUSIVE: Uncompleted Building Caves in, Kills Five, Injures 10 in Lagos

The site of the collapse

Barely two weeks after another building collapsed at the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State, yet another one caved in yesterday at Ishaga, Surulere, killing five persons including a 13-year-old bread seller, and left 10 others with varying degrees of injuries.

This is just as the state building control agency said the agency had sealed the structure about three weeks ago because it was structurally deficient , adding that the owner probably broke the seal and continued construction. 

According to eyewitness account, the two-storey building which was nearing completion located at no 29 Ishaga Road, Off Lawanson Road, had caved in at about 10am and buried more than 15 persons in the rubbles before they were rescued either dead or alive.

It was gathered that although some persons were in the collapsed building, most of the victims, including the bread seller, were merely victims of chance who had taken shelter under the house to wait for the early morning rain to abate. 

Meanwhile, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Dr. Abimbola Odunayo, lamented that the owner of the building had been warned as to the state of the materials used in construction, adding that the agency had to seal up the building. 

While lamenting the rate at which occupants of such buildings violate the state’s regulation on building, she said, "We sealed this structure about three weeks ago. It was discovered during one of our routine road shows and we sealed about four buildings around this environment. For this to have happened, it means they broke our seal. The building is substandard and there was no approval.”

Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-west Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, said over 10persons were trapped underneath the rubbles before the search and rescue operations commenced.

The state Commissioner for Special Duties, Wale Ahmed, was at the scene of the collapse alongside the Commander, Rapid Response Squad, CSP Akeem Odumosu and the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Okei-Osayintolu.

The commissioner debunked claims that building collapse has become a norm in the state, adding that for every collapse, the state has been able to prevent many others from happening but continuous integrity testing of building materials and structural strength.