At least eight people were killed early Thursday while about 10 others were severely injured when a building collapsed in Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State.
The dead included a pregnant woman identified simply as Bukola and her husband as well as an 18-month-old-boy who was fast asleep when the incident happened.
Incidentally one of the lucky survivors also included one and a half-year-old baby, whose mother died in the incident while his father was rescued with injuries.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the building situated at 29b Oloto Street, Oyingbo area of Ebute Meta caved in around 2 am on Thursday, after serious signs of imminent collapse.
Many of the residents were trapped in the building until around 6 o’ clock in the morning, when heavy duty equipment from the state government arrived at the scene.
Adeniran Isiaka, a resident of a nearby building, told the Nigerian Tribune that the collapse of the building was heralded by rumbling sounds before a loud bang.
Isiaka said ,“we were waiting to eat our early morning fasting food (sahur). Myself and a friend of mine decided to be playing card to while away the time when we heard a rumbling sound and later a sudden loud bang The whole area was covered with dust from the collapsed building.”
A health worker and a member of the Community Development Association, who pleaded anonymity said that the late arrival of emergency workers led to the high casualty figures.
She said that two people had already died before the emergency workers arrived at the scene two hours after the building caved in.
It was gathered that the building until the incident was being used as warehouse and residential apartments.
A survivor, Bilikisu Abdul Ahmed, whose mother, simply known as Alhaja , initially survived the incident but died later at the hospital, said that she was at the balcony when the building caved in.
She said that five of her siblings and their mother were in their apartment when residents raised the alarm of the imminent collapse of the building.
“I came out to see what was happening and I was still at the balcony, when I heard a sudden sound and I was covered under the rubble of the building,” Bilikisu said.
She also said that their apartment had on several occasions in the past showed signs that it may one day collapse but that their father had always patched the cracked portions with cement.
It was gathered that immediately the building caved in, residents of the area mobilised and started rescue operations when emergency workers did not arrive on time.
The owner of the building, who was present, at the time of the incident, later fled .
The runaway owner and developer of the building was said to be sleeping in a three-storey building directly in front of the collapsed building, when the incident happened.
Officials of the National Emergency !Management Authority (NEMA) Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Nigeria Police and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps and Lagos State Ambulance Service were part of the rescue operation.
Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed, while speaking at the scene said that the state government might be forced to stop the activities of developers in the state.
He claimed that four people died and that 10 others had been rescued and noted the state government has tightened control of building approval in the state.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the spokesperson of the NEMA, South West, confirmed that seven people died in the incident and that another seven were rescued.
Farinloye said that many occupants of the building had around 1 am left the building, after it was observed that it was cracking loudly.
He continued that some of the residents returned to their apartments, after they felt that the building was not going to collapse again.
RRS Commander arrests NEMA spokesperson
There was a mild drama at the scene of the Ebute Meta collapsed building as policemen manhandled and arrested the spokesperson of the NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye
The NEMA spokesperson was bundled out of the scene of the rescue operation by policemen , attached to the Rapid Response Squad on the order of the commander of the outfit, Akeem Odumosu
The arrest of the NEMA spokesperson almost marred the rescue operation as other officials of the agency protested and abandoned the operation and drove away from the scene
Farinloye was said to have incurred Odumosu’s wrath for daring to angrily stop him from sending away residents of the area , who stormed the collapsed building and for telling him that he was stupid to have done that.
Farinloye was later detained at Denton Police Station with an instruction from Odumosu that he should be arraigned in court on Friday and had not been released as at 4 o ‘ clock on Thursday
Efforts by people including the chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, Oladele Olakanye to have the NEMA spokesperson released failed.
Olakanye even promised Odumosu that the NEMA official would write a letter of apology but he insisted on him being taking to court.
3 injured, many feared dead in Kaduna
In Kaduna, a 3-storey building on Hadeja Road by Gombe Road very close to the Sheikh Gumi Central Market collapsed on Thursday, throwing the entire area into fear and confusion.
Eye witnesses said the building which served as both residential and commercial, cracked and as it began to go down, many people inside rushed out but unfortunately, two people including a woman sustained injuries and were rushed to a private hospital for treatment.
Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and other government officials were at the scene. It took his intervention for an excavator to arrive at the scene about two hours later to rescue victims.
“You are so concerned about news, but I am very concerned about the people trapped in there. We must first make effort to rescue them,” he said.
One old woman, Hajiya Sharafat was wailing as, according to her, her children and grand children were feared trapped in the debris.
Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Agency, Mr. Dogo Makama, could not give details of the casualties as they were making effort to rescue those trapped.
Rescue work was still going on as of time of filing this report.
The case of one Mallam Mohammed, was pathetic. “My pain is that there is no one here to bring him out for me. I do not know if he is already dead or still alive. Please, somebody should help,” he said, desperately seeking the whereabouts of his son. At the time he was speaking, no rescue team had been able to go for the trapped victims.
The emergency management organisations at the scene were just watching. His son had gone to the building to buy an item when it collapsed.
Similarly, one man simply referred to as Ade said his friend was under the collapsed building and hoped he could be still alive.
“My friend is there and I cannot do anything to help him. This is miserable,” he lamented.
The collapsed building, located within the central market, housed many shops.
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