The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Building collapse:

  • Two die, many feared trapped in Lagos building collapse

    Two die, many feared trapped in Lagos building collapse

    Two bodies were brought out after many hours of rescue operation yesterday from a collapsed building in Lagos.

    Many people were injured while 14 were rescued.

    General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Adesina Tiamiyu confirmed the fatalities.

    A four-storey building on Massey/ Carena Street off Campos bus stop on Lagos Island collapsed around 2.pm.

    Residents said it was structurally defective, adding that a telecommunication mast was erected on the building two weeks ago.

    Fifteen of them, including five children, were rescued around 6.30pm. It was gathered that at least five persons were still trapped under the rubble as at press time last night.

    A woman who sells Amala on the ground floor narrowly escaped but her workers and some of her customers are among those trapped, sources said.

    It was gathered that the woman stepped out of the shop few minutes before it crashed.

    Another woman identified as Iya Ibeji is said to be under the rubble with her four kids. Residents said two women who sold rice and yam are also under the rubble.

    Although LASEMA operatives got to the scene early, the crowd prevented them from working.

    The crowd also threatened to deal with reporters, who attempted to record the incident.

    The Nation observed that the crowd, which rebuffed rescuers’ entreaties from rescuers to leave the site, cut the ribbon used to cordon off the area.

    The police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives could not control the crowd.

    Emergency workers also had difficulty in rescuing the trapped victims because of the structure’s closeness to other buildings.

    At the time of filing this report, excavation had started. One of the structures besides the collapsed building had been brought down. Electric poles around the structures were also pulled down.

    Tiamiyu, who led rescuers to the scene, put the figure of those rescued at over 10.

    He insisted that their primary focus was to safe life, appealing to the crowd to allow emergency workers do their jobs.

     

     

     

     

  • Building collapse update: Seven rescued, one corpse recovered

    Building collapse update: Seven rescued, one corpse recovered

    Seven people have been rescued in the Lagos Island building collapse of Tuesday afternoon with many others still trapped.

    According to the Nation’s Correspondence, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Rapid Response Squared (RRS), National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the POlice and other stakeholders have moved to the scene to evacuate the victims.

    As at the time of filing this report, LASEMA’s excavator is expected to ease the rescue mission.

    It would be recalled that the building, located at Karena Street, Campus Bus Stop in Lagos Island caved at about 2:30pm on Tuesday, shortly after the rain.

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  • Breaking: Many trapped as building collapses in Lagos Island

    Breaking: Many trapped as building collapses in Lagos Island

    Many people are currently trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Lagos.

    It was gathered that the building, located at Karena Street, Campus Bus Stop in Lagos Island caved in this afternoon.

    Already, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other stakeholders have moved to the scene to evacuate the victims.

    Details later…

  • Three killed as another building collapses in Imo

    Three killed as another building collapses in Imo

    Barely 48 hours after a three-storey building under construction was buried in a landslide in Imo State, another one-storey building in Umugide in Owerri West Local Council of the State, in the early hours of Saturday, collapsed, leaving about three dead.

    The incident occurred about 4 am, according to one of the survivors.

    Those identified to have been killed in the incident include a family of three, Marcelinus Opkomeshina and two of his children,   Believe and Vivian, while the deceased’s wife, Felicia Okpomeshina was rescued from the rubble.

    She was said to have returned from a night vigil in her church before the incident.

    A neighbour, who pleaded anonymity, said that when the owner of the collapsed, Mr. Chinonso Ewelusu, arrived the scene, collapsed immediately.

    Those who called at the scene of the incident included the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Abdullahi Kurawa, the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Government House, Kingsley Uju, an Engineer; a community leader in the community, Eleaza Ajare.

    The Nation gathered that the family from Enyiogugu in Aboh Mbaise Local Council of the state had lived in the building for a long time before it finally collapsed.

    Speaking at the scene of the incident,  Kuwara regretted that the youths of the community at the site, were aggressive.

    He thanked those who promptly sent the information to the command which facilitated the rescue work and contacts with the necessary bodies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    The Deputy Chief of Staff on his part sympathised with the victims, while cautioning against the use of sub-standard materials in the building of houses.

  • Many injured in Lagos building collapse

    Many people Thursday sustained injuries after a building under construction collapsed at Ajegunle, a Lagos slum community.

    It was gathered that the building, situated at Layinka Street, collapsed while artisans were working on it.

    According to an eyewitness, Fatai Balogun, he woke up around 5am, saw the structure bent and quickly alerted others.

    Balogun, a homeless young man, who sought shelter at the building after he was evicted from his one-roomed apartment, said he woke up to prepare for the Ramadan fast when he noticed it.

    He said: “I alerted workers who scurried in different directions. But one of them was hit by a brick and he fell down. We rushed where he was and carried him out of the building before the debris came down.

    “But for our swift response, perhaps he could have died. It was part of the top most floor that collapsed. It is obvious that the decking could not sustain the floor.”

    A construction worker, Femi, said: “Some of us were working on one side of the building when it collapsed. No one can point to what exactly led to the collapse, as the cement was well mixed. We are happy that none of us died in the process.”

  • Two die, 14 injured in building collapse

    Two die, 14 injured in building collapse

    A bricklayer simply identified as Baba Ibeji and a nine-year-old girl died yesterday when a three-storey building collapsed at 9, Daddy Alaja Street, Oke Arin, Idumota, Lagos Island.

    Fourteen persons were injured in the building which fell around 7am. Scores were said to be trapped in the debris. The injured have been taken to hospital; the bodies were handed over to bereaved families.

    Officials of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Nigerian Red Cross were among responders at the scene.

    The face me I face you building housed many residents; the ground floor consisted of shops. Some Mallams were said to be living on the ground floor. Bricklayers, it was learnt, pass the night in the building.

    The Nation gathered that the building which is on a canal is under renovation. A trader, Sodiq Musa, said many people were yet to be rescued; adding that some of those rescued said they were yet to see some of their relatives.

    “They were renovating this building with people still living in the house and it was about eight bricklayers that were working on the building. Many people were injured. I saw two of the ambulances filled with injured victims and the rescuers are still at the scene. Some people are still on the ground and first floor and until the rescuers clear the rubble on the second and third floors, they cannot get to where other victims are trapped,” Musa said.

    He said the dead were a bricklayer and a girl, who lived with her parents. The girl’s parents, he said, were injured.

    An oil trader, Mr HazeezBakare, said the building was on a canal filled with dirt.

    “This area is swampy and that was why the building collapsed. People must have been living in this house for over 40 years. They were meant to demolish the house and build it again instead of the renovation. They must have told the occupants to leave the building for the renovation to be done, but they cannot afford another accommodation, that must have been why many of them remained in the building while it was being renovated. Being a public holiday, many of the occupants would be in the house when the building collapsed,” he said.

    LASEMA General Manager Adesina Tiamiyu said: “The agency received a distress call at about 7am concerning a collapsed three-storey building on the Island, which prompted the immediate activation of the agency’s ERT and other responders which include the Lagos State Ambulance Service, Lagos State Fire Service, LASBCA, National Emergency Management Agency, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to the scene.”

    The 14 injured were moved by the LASAMBUS and LASEMA response team Ambulance to Mainland Hospital. He said two bodies were recovered from the debris and handed over to their family members for burial.

    Tiamiyu said preliminary investigation showed that illegal work was being carried out on the building already inhabited by people. He said investigation would be conducted to ascertain the circumstances that led to the collapse.

    Tiamiyu advised owners and developers to adhere to building and physical planning laws to avert disasters.

  • Lagos Assembly urges agencies to address cases of building collapse

    Lagos Assembly urges agencies to address cases of building collapse

    Lagos State House of Assembly on Saturday asked relevant agencies in the building sector to brace up and stop the rising cases of building collapse in the state.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Setonji David, said the state would no longer tolerate violations of its rules and regulations on building construction.

    The Speaker’s remark followed Thursday’s collapse of a three-storey building at Richard Abimbola Street, Ilasamaja, Lagos,  killing at least three people while 19 some construction workers were rescued alive.

    At least 34 people were killed on March 9, 2016 after a five-storey building still under construction collapsed in Lekki District, Lagos.

    The lawmaker, who frowned at negligence on the part of building owners and contractors, said: “It is very unfortunate that another building has collapsed in Lagos.

    “It is painful that we have lost precious souls again due to the negligence and lack of expertise of contractors.

    “Our officials at the state level must brace up to stem the trend.”

    David urged house owners to obtain approval before embarking on their projects.

    “Safety should be paramount in whatever we want to do, it is not safe to build without approval by the relevant authorities such as  physical planning department,” he added.

    The lawmaker urged the State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) to step up monitoring of buildings to ensure compliance with standards.

    NAN

  • UPDATE: Lagos building collapse death toll increases

    UPDATE: Lagos building collapse death toll increases

    Two more bodies have been recovered from the collapsed three-storey building at Ilasamaja, Lagos, bringing the number of deaths recorded to three.

    The deceased were recovered between 12:18am and 12:32am, said the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Incident Commander of the operation, Adesina Tiamiyu.

    According to him, three people died, 19 were rescued and some were still feared trapped.

    Among the deceased was a 25-year-old Plumber, Emeka Okeke, from Enugu State, whose boss was inconsolable Thursday night.

    The boss who gave his name as Okeke and identified himself as the deceased’s uncle, was held by rescue workers from jumping on the rubble.

    Crying and speaking in Igbo, Okeke said he left his two brothers-Emeka and Chima- at the site Thursday afternoon before leaving for Festac.

    He said they were both his brothers and were handed over to him by their parents so that he could teach them plumbing.

    “What do I tell my people? These boys were given to me by my brothers to train. Where do I start from? God! Why me?

    “They were working together. I left both of them here this afternoon and I went to Festac. We all slept here with other workers. I was just coming back to sleep now, so, we can continue our job tomorrow. I didn’t know something bad happened here. I didn’t even here about it until I got to the site.

    “Death should have taken me instead. It should have taken me and left my two young boys, who are just starting life. I should have died in their place,” said Okeke who refused to admit that one of his brothers might still be alive.

    “My people have been calling Emeka’s phone since. It’s ringing but he wasn’t picking. Look at the phone in his pocket. It’s there inside his pocket. God! What did I do wrong?” Lamented Okeke.

    The Nation observed that paramedics, at the instruction of Tiamiyu, took him and checked his blood pressure, before they showed him a place to sit down. Okeke, who wanted to sleep at the scene until his other brother was found, was advised to follow an ambulance to Isolo General Hospital so that he would check if Chima was among the injured.

    Most of the victims recovered from 9pm had at least one of their legs amputated, with suspected spinal cord injuries.

  • Building collapse: Lagos seals structure, orders integrity test

    The Lagos State government yesterday sealed off the building which collapsed at Nicon Town Estate on Admiralty Way in Lekki on Thursday which reportedly killed two persons and left one other severely injured.

    The government also ordered integrity test to be conducted on the structure.

    Speaking to journalists after carrying out on-the-spot assessment of the incident, the State’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Wasiu Anifowose, said the building would remain sealed till the completion of investigation by relevant government agencies, while the report of the investigation would be made public in due course.

    He said officials of the Ministry immediately moved to site after being alerted of the incident, while the workers at the scene were evacuated.

    He said: “Yesterday, I was in my office when I had a call that there was a partial building collapse in Lekki and I immediately mobilized my officers to site. They have given me their report and the onus is on me to ascertain the situation of things and that is why I am here.

    “Based on or preliminary investigation, we discovered that it was the roof gutter of the building under construction that fell off the main house and a vibrator was also used.

    “At the moment, the state government has taken the necessary steps; we have evacuated all the people that worked on the building and the property has been sealed off. It will remain sealed until we conclude our investigation,” Anifowose said.

    He, however, faulted the owner of the building for not displaying the Project Board on the site of the construction as required, but said the ongoing investigation would reveal actual state of things.

    “The Project Board usually contains information such as the name of the architect, name of the engineer, the name of builder and the approved building plan. There is nothing of such here but like I said, we will go back to the office and check the file. There are two levels of approvals for this type of construction and that is approval from the management of the Estate and then approval of the State Government.

    “Since this is a case of partial building collapse, the first thing we are going to do is to conduct integrity test. The test will confirm to us whether the construction can continue or otherwise, after which the government will do the needful and the public will hear from us,” Anifowose said.

  • Building collapse: State govts to enforce ethical discipline

    State governments across the country have empowered Surveyor-Generals in each State to oversee the activities of Surveyors, whether in private or public practice. The Acting Surveyor-General in Oyo State, Alaba Abiodun Sekore made this known in Ibadan during a sensitization workshop organized by the state Surveyors Council of Nigeria, (SURCON) with the theme, “Surveying and ethical practice”.
    Sekore, who was represented by Mrs. Adefunke Oduwole, a senior director in the Surveyor -General’s office, said the new state government directive will avert loss of lives and properties occasioned by inaccurate information provided by survey practitioners who did not conform with the regulations laid down by the body.
    “It is on this backdrop that the state SURCON Ethics Committee magnanimously decided to organize the seminar so that no practitioner would claim ignorance of the new rules and so that transactions between the practitioners and office of the Surveyor-General will be very cordial, smooth and rewarding.
    “Three major sections in the new rules by the office of the Surveyor-General to interact with the practitioners include area of professional practice, government acquisition and survey inspectorate,” he said.

    State Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Ola Shiyanbola said, “this program is borne out of the need to bring to reality, young surveyors that just got accredited and registered under SURCON the ethical practices that will guide them against running foul of the tenets of the profession.”