Eight dead, 22 rescued in Lagos collapsed building

Eight people have been confirmed dead and 22 rescued in a three-storey building at 24, Off Bonny Way, Ibadan Street, Ebute Meta, Lagos State, on Sunday night.

A mother and her son were said to be among those who died in the collapsed building.

The South West Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, told newsmen on Monday that 22 people were rescued from the rubble.

He added that another body was being tracked in the ongoing rescue operation.

According to him, the number of those rescued is expected to increase as the search and rescue operation is ongoing.

The Lagos State Fire Service Fire and Rescue Service had announced the building collapse and the commencement of rescue operations on Sunday night in its official Twitter handle.

“An alert of a collapse of a three storey building by 24 Ibadan Street, Ebute Meta was received at 21:48 hours, Sunday with Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service already at the scene.

“Search and Rescue ongoing with updates to follow, please ” it said.

Farinloye said that most of the old buildings in the Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State have been marked for demolitions.

He noted that some of the buildings which can be as old as the Lagos history, have been marked for demolition but the people are resisting it.

Farinloye explained that the Lagos State Building Control Agency saved another ‘two-storey building with additional four blow up at the top at 100, Lagos Street, Ebiye-Meta just about two meters away from the site of the building collapse.