The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Building collapse:

  • Woman dies in Lagos building collapse

    A two-storey building collapsed in Mile 12 area of Lagos on Saturday morning, killing a 47-year-old woman.

    The building located at No. 9 Alli close, Mile 12, reportedly came down at 8:45am.

    The General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), Michael Akindele, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying rescue operation was ongoing.

    He attributed the incident to poor maintenance of the building.

    “It was a partial collapse which affected the balcony of the building.

    “One female victim was killed and the building has been condoned off for safety. The agencies on ground include LASEMA,ERT, Lagos State Fire Service and the Nigerian Police Force, Alapere division.

    “Investigation and assessment conducted revealed that the building had shown sign of distress as some portion of the balcony was caving in.

    “The 47-year-old woman sustained bodily injury and died on her way to the hospital. The occupants of the 16-room building have been evacuated and the building condoned off for safety,” the LASEMA chief stated.

     

  • Building collapse: Lagos files 111-count charge against Synagogue, others

    Building collapse: Lagos files 111-count charge against Synagogue, others

    •Three defendants’ absence stalls trial

    The Lagos State Government has preferred a 111-count charge against the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and some engineers over the September 12, 2014 collapsed building in which 116 people, mostly South Africans were killed.

    But, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the Ikeja High Court, yesterday adjourned their arraignment till December 11 because of the state’s inability to serve three of the defendants.

    The charge borders on the defendants alleged failure to obtain approval for the collapsed building contrary to Section 41 of the Urban and Regional Planning Laws of Lagos State and involuntary manslaughter contrary to Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    The Registered Trustees of SCOAN comprises some leaders of the church, but only one member of the SCOAN Trustees was present at yesterday’s proceedings. He represented the other Trustees.

    A Coroner Inquest set up by Lagos State and presided over by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, ruled on August 7, 2015, that SCOAN and its contractors were essentially negligent in the collapse of the six-storey guesthouse.

    The defendants in the suit are: the Registered Trustees of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Jadny Trust Limited, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun.

    Yesterday, lead prosecution counsel and Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, informed the court that only two of the five defendants had been served due to invalid addresses of the 3rd to 5th defendants.

    “We confirm that Synagogue Trustees and the Hardrock Construction Company have been served. The other defendants in the matter could not be served because their addresses are not valid,” he said.

    Counsel to the 1st and 2nd defendants, Mr Seun Abimbola, however, contested this claim.

    “The state cannot say that they don’t have valid address because they were served in previous proceedings. The engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun were even arrested by the police and charged before a Magistrate’s Court where they were later released on bail,” Abimbola said.

    After listening to both arguments, Justice Lawal-Akapo cautioned the defence counsel that the matter is a criminal one with a sensitive nature.

    “Service in any proceeding is fundamental and anything done outside of this is a nullity. The defence counsel is hereby directed to oblige the prosecution team with valid addresses of the 3rd, 4th and 5th defendant within 72 hours,” the judge held.

     

  • 4 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN LAGOS BUILDING COLLAPSE

    4 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN LAGOS BUILDING COLLAPSE

    No fewer than four persons, including three children, were dead after another building collapsed in the early hours of yesterday in Lagos.

    The building, a bungalow located at Orisha Street, Isheri, Magodo caved in while it rained heavily.

    The deceased were identified as Isayo Odiah (23); DeSylva Odiah (15); Clinton Odiah (13) and eight-year-old Endurance Odiah.

    The deceased were said to be siblings from the same mother, who was said to have collapsed and rushed to a nearby hospital.

    It was learnt that Mayflower Hospital where the mother of seven was initially taken to rejected her because “there was no card” before she was eventually rushed to Tabasco Hospital.

    A resident of the collapsed building said: “Around 6am, we heard a loud sound. But we did not know that the upper part of another building beside the bungalow has fallen on it.

    “Unfortunately, it fell just on the room where Mr. Godwin Odiah’s children were sleeping. The man has seven children but three of them were not around.

    “He was the one who saw it and started screaming for help. He said he was in the bathroom when he heard the sound but did not know that it was in his compound.

    “Another building also collapsed again but I don’t know if anyone was killed.

    “Government needs to do something in this area. It is sandy and water logged. I think the incident was not unconnected with the heavy rain and the topography in the area,” said the resident.

    Emergency workers comprising the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the police were on ground to manage the situation.

    Confirming the incident, NEMA’s spokesman for the southwest, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the collapse was caused by mudslides from the cleavage of a hill beside River Ogun.

    He said: “Four persons were recovered dead. The cause of the collapse was the heavy rainfall.

    “Mudslides from the cleavage of a hill beside River Ogun hit the three- bedroom flat, unfortunately the room where the deceased were recovered was the one hit by the mudslides.

    “Another mudslide fell on one single room building in the area but no one was trapped there.”

    The four bodies were handed over to the family by LASEMA and policemen from the Isheri division.

    They were later moved to a community cemetery in the area by a SEMU ambulance amid tears from residents where the burial took place.

    LASEMA boss, Micheal Akindele, said the people have been advised to vacate their homes temporarily, adding that some buildings in the area have been marked.

  • Four killed in another building collapse in Lagos

    Four killed in another building collapse in Lagos

    No fewer than four persons, including three children were on Saturday morning confirmed dead, after another building collapsed in Lagos.
    The building, a bungalow located at Orisha Street, Isheri, Magodo caved in during a heavy rainfall.
    Their names were given as Sylva Odiah, 24; Sayo Odiah,15; Clinton Odiah, 11 and eight year-old Endurance Odiah.
    The deceased were said to be siblings from the same mother, who was said to have collapsed and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
    It was learnt that Mayflower Hospital, where the mother of seven was initially taken to rejected her because ‘there was no card,’ before she was eventually rushed to Tabasco Hospital.
    According to a resident, the bungalow did not collapse by itself. “Around 6am, we heard a loud sound. But we did not know that the upper part of another building beside the bungalow has fallen on it.
    “Unfortunately, it fell just on the room where Mr. Godwin Odiah’s children were sleeping. The man has seven children but three of them are not around.
    “He was the one who saw it and started screaming for help. He said he was in the bathroom when he heard the sound but did not know that it was in his compound.
    “Another building also collapsed again but I don’t know if anyone was killed.
    “Government needs to do something in this area. It is sandy and water logged. I think the incident is not unconnected with the heavy rain and the topography in the area,” said the resident.
    At the time of filing this report, emergency workers comprising the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the police were on ground to manage the situation.
    Confirming the incident, NEMA’s spokesman for the southwest, Ibrahim Farinloye said the collapse was caused by mudslides from the cleavage of a hill beside River Ogun.
    He said: “Four persons were recovered dead. The cause of the collapse was the heavy rainfall.
    “Mudslides from the cleavage of a hill beside River Ogun hit the three bedroom flat, unfortunately the room where the deceased were recovered was the one hit by the mudslides.
    “Another mudslide fell on one single room building in the area but no one was trapped there.”

  • Building collapse injured two

    Building collapse injured two

    Two men sustained injuries yesterday following the collapse of a storey building in Badagry, a Lagos suburb.

    The incident occurred at Olagunju Street, at the ancient town, while the victims were working on the site.

    Situated beside Saint Triumph Primary School, off Magbon Bus Stop, the building was said to have caved during school hours.

    It was learnt that the building had been under construction, marked for integrity test by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA).

    But, despite the “stop work” seal pasted on the uncompleted building, the owner was said to have ordered construction workers to continue.

    Confirming the incident, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Micheal Akindele said only two workers sustained minor injuries.

    He said that they were treated by state health officials attached to the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

    According to him, the collapsed building did not affect the school, just as he disclosed that the relevant agencies will conduct investigation to ascertain the cause of the collapse.

  • Breaking: Victim of Lagos collapsed building dies

    Breaking: Victim of Lagos collapsed building dies

    An 89-year-old victim of Wednesday’s Lagos collapsed building is dead.
    Details shortly…
    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”Building” count=”4″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link”]
  • Four feared missing in building collapse

    Four feared missing in building collapse

    •LASEMA: nobody died

    Four persons were feared missing yesterday after a two-storey building collapsed in Lekki, Lagos.

    The building was one of three structures being erected at 37 Agungi Ajiran Road opposite Obafemi Olatunji Street in Lekki.

    It was gathered that six labourers were working on the building, when it fell at 6.45a.m., but two of them were rescued.

    The Nation learnt that the two sustained minor injuries.

    It was learnt that emergency agencies did not learn of the mishap till about 8:20am. They also had difficulty getting to the scene early because of traffic gridlock.

    The place was cordoned off by operatives of Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) led by the commander, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and the Area Commander of Ajah, ACP Kayode Samuel.

    [ad id=”403656″]At the time of filing this report, no one could give account of the four other persons in the building.

    However, after excavating the debris for about eight hours with no sign of anyone trapped underneath, the rescue workers led by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), General Manager Michael Akindele closed the operation.

    “We have concluded rescue operation. I do not know where the people got the information that six people were in the building.

    “As I talk with you, no one was found in the building except the two people earlier rescued who sustained minor injuries and were treated and discharged.

    “I can confirm to you that no life was lost. The operation has ended and the building agency will commence investigation as to the cause of the collapse,” said Akindele.

     

  • Bad construction practises cause building collapse

    Bad construction practises cause building collapse

    The former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Guillaume Roux, has said the company will hit 16 million metric tonnes of cement production by 2020.

    The company produces 11 million metric tonnes.

    Roux spoke at the farewell party organised for him at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday.

    He said the company  grew under his leadership, making inroad into South Africa and other parts of the world.

    Roux said efforts were being made to resuscitate its ailing plants, stressing that the blue chip company was working hard to ensure that building collapse is reduced.

    He said: We are working on our cement plants in Calabar, Ashaka, with their turnout; Lafarge is expected to hit 14 million metric tonnes. I am sure that by 2017/2018, we will hit the 14 million metric tonnes. I believe by the end of 2020, we would have doubled our capacity and I think we would reach 16 million metric tonnes by the level of progress we are making.

    “We are present here in the Southwest, the Southeast and northern Nigeria, working to meet up with the demands of the market.”

    The former CEO of Lafarge explained that West Africa Portland Cement Company (WAPCO) transformed to Lafarge Africa Plc under his leadership.

    “During my tenure, we transformed WAPCO and transferred it to South Africa. We put together all our resources and with our resource in South Africa, we would reach the 16 million metric tonnes in 2020.

    “With the combination of Lafarge South Africa, we are No. 6 on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. This is really a blue chip for Nigeria. This combination, transformation had been hailed. We are one of the major actors in the corporate world in 2015.

    He added that Lafarge was not relenting in its effort to build a safe and better society, noting that it was imperative to checkmate the activities of incompetent builders all over the world.

    “I have had much experience in countries, which have suffered earthquakes and where questions were raised about building collapse around the world.

    “The cause of building collapse is because of bad practises in the construction itself. This is why we are coming up with civil engineers and all the actors who can manage the situation properly.

    “We want to put them in place to guarantee good work through proper supervision. There must be proper supervision of the work site. We are promoting good working ethic for civil engineers, to educate the population and anybody on the street who want to have a house.

    “They must understand that they have to work with qualified engineers, building contractors and if they do that the house will stand.

    “We have arrays of product in the country; we have products for tall buildings, high rise edifice and for individual homes. We want to develop already-made concrete, the more people use already-made concrete, the quality of building will be guaranteed,” he said.

    Roux said he had a good team, which assisted him to accomplish the objectives of the company.

    “The most important thing for me is to make sure that we continue to make Lafarge one of the best in the world. I am proud to say that I have a fantastic team here.”

  • Nigerite finds magic cure for building collapse

    Roofing  giant, Nigerite Plc may have found the magic cure for building collapse.

    It has unveiled a N2 billion dry construction technology known as Kalsi to address the problem.

    Speaking at the event, Nigerite Managing Director Nigerite Plc, Mr. Franks Le Bris, said with the solution, the chances of building collapses were nil because it is an engineered process, adding that with its deployment, there is no way standards can be changed.

    This he said, is premised on the deployment of a better construction technology, which does not give room for cheating.

    Kalsi, Le Bris said, is a major component of the Dry Construction System (Dryco).

    “Kalsi gives a lot of mileage in that regard because you cannot cut corners with it,” Lebris said.

    Besides, with this technology, he believes that durable and affordable housing for all may soon be achieved if the federal, state and private property developers embrace the new building and construction technology.

    He said the firm had in the last two years been working on the development of an entirely novel and friendly solution in the built industry, by showingcasing the Kalsi technology to building professionals and contractors as a viable alternative to the traditional wet construction method with blocks, bricks and concrete.

    Nigerite has spent about N2 billion on dry construction facilities, and also held over 200 trainings for artisans and industry professionals, he added.

    Nigerite’s Head, Dry Construction Business Unit, Mr. Wale Ogungbe, explained that Dryco has the least construction challenges because it has a software that considered the wind load, water load, among other factors.

    Ogungbe said the facility has been tested and trusted in other parts of the world, such as Indonesia, Europe, Asia and South America.

    Besides, testing of the product has proved that it leaves little or no casualty in the event of natural disasters, he said. “Nigerite has put all measures in place, from raw materials, machinery, personnel and training to introduce this avante garde building solution to the market in the second quarter of 2015. To say the least, we have all it takes to take the built industry to the next level, Ogungbe added.

    Nigerite’s Dryco solution uses Kalsi boards, which are high performance autoclaved cement boards, Siniat plasterboards, that is, high quality Gypsum boards, galvanised steel framings and other component finishing accessories. Kalsi boards are manufactured from cement, quartz sand, cellulose, natural calcium silicate and water. The boards are processed by autoclave- a drying process under high pressure and temperature for durability and dimensional stability. The board comes in 1.22m x 2.44m and 1.22m x 3.00m and thickness from 6mm to 20mm.

    Explaining the comparative advantages of dry over wet construction, Head, Department of Estate Management, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Timothy Nubi, said the method will lead to reduction in wastes, offer design freedom with comprehensive technological and infrastructure costs,  adding that in construction, building products and processed materials are transferred to the building site, which means less technical, logistical and infrastructure costs.

    Le Bris explained that the company is not shifting from a roofing solution company for which it has been known, but rather expanding into a new area called “complementary building solution or dry construction”, adding that it is a move from manufacturing roofing solution to building solution.

    He said with the capital expenditure put at 24 per cent of recurrent expenditure, and the falling crude oil prices, the industry is under pressure to come up with a cost efficient system of construction.

    Laudable as this product may be, experts, however,  said the cost of using it for construction is still  high.This is because dry construction is about five per cent more affordable than the traditional brick and mortar for  housing; but on the long run, it is cheaper. However, in mass housing (estate projects), dry construction is a huge money saver.

  • Two feared trapped in Abuja building collapse

    Two feared trapped in Abuja building collapse

    Two people were feared  trapped while five others were rescued and rushed to the hospital from a collapsed one-storey building in Jikwoyi, a suburb of Abuja yesterday.

    The building, which was located within the indigenous setting of Phase 4 in Jikwoyi, used to be a local club and collapsed in the early hours of yesterday.

    Rescue team of the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who were at the scene said that they had been informed of the collapse by 10.30 am and had so far rescued five people and the search was ongoing to ensure that the suspected remaining two people were also rescued.

    Public Relations Officer FEMA, Josie Mudasiru, stated that it was possible that no one else might still be trapped or the number might be more since the rescue team was working based on statements from eyewitnesses.

    Mudasiru also said that Director, FEMA Alhaji Idriss, reinstated that no stone was going to be left unturned until all the victims were rescued.

    Her words: “A story building collapsed in Jikwoyi. Search-and-rescue unit of the FCT Emergency Management Agency have rescued five persons alive and they have been taken to the hospital.

    “Rescue operation is still ongoing. The building which is said to be a local club had no building plan approval and it is located within the indigenous setting.”

    She also added: “In another development in Jikwoyi, two children who fell into a well have been rescued alive by FEMA search and rescue team. Director, FEMA Alhaji Abbas Idriss have said that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that the rescue is thorough and all victims are saved.