The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Building collapse:

  • Of cement and building collapse

    SIR: The spate of building collapse in the country and the attendant devastation that comes with it is not only worrisome but also calls for urgent national attention. The rate at which they happen and the shabby attention accorded them by those supposedly in-charge has compelled one to ask if there exists any building code or regulatory agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring standards in the construction/building sector.

    It took a petition by a coalition of civil society and professional groups in the construction industry for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)to rise up to their responsibilities. The petitioners alleged that the use of 32.5 cement grade in construction works was responsible for incessant building collapse across the country. The SON quickly set up a technical committee to look at the existing grades of cement and to recommend the best for the overall good of the nation. The committee had members drawn from relevant stakeholders in the cement business chain, construction and building industry. In the end, the committee recommended the use of 42.5 cement grade.

    One wonders why it is the case of cement grade that has caught the fancy of the SON and the House of Representatives. As a matter of fact, neither cement nor its grade causes building collapse because it is a minute component in the entire building construction process. The committee set up by SON and the House of Representatives ought to have painstakingly taken a holistic view and factor in other variables responsible for building collapse before arriving at its recommendations. The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) were of the position that cement as a water based binder and common ingredient in building construction does not stand in isolation or independent of other materials for they are jointly mixed together to form vital components of a building structure. Standing at different strategic locations in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world are many historical edifices built over decades and centuries ago with 32.5 cement grade.

    In fact, a whole lot of ignored factors have brought the building industry down on its knees. First, is the issue of quackery in the building industry. Many incompetent individuals who have no business in the construction industry are actively in the lead. Second is the flagrant abuse of building code, ethics and standards. End users of building products for reasons connected with lets’ make do with what we have syndrome and personal gains compromise standards. Third, the nation lacks standard laboratories for testing and appraising locally produced and imported building materials. In fact, CORENhasinformed the nation that;”SON, which is the regulatory agency for setting standard for cement in Nigeria, has no competent and functional laboratory for determining cement quality”. Some companies have taken advantage of this lacuna with the collaboration of unscrupulous individuals to import sub-standard products at the expense of the nation.

    Fourth, there is little or no awareness and enlightenment of Nigerians as to the kinds of cement grades we have, their suitable usages and how to identify them. Presently, most Nigerians cannot differentiate between 32.5 and 42.5 cement grade.

    This is a clarion call to SON, stakeholders in the construction and building industry, and indeed all Nigerians to as a matter of urgency step up action against building collapse before it consumes all of us. The ongoing effort at revamp the building sector should not be segmented. Rather a comprehensive approach to addressing them should be evolved.

     

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

     Samaru Unit, Zaria

  • 10 injured in Lagos building collapse

    10 injured in Lagos building collapse

    No fewer than 10 people, including teenagers, were injured yesterday when a two-strorey building collapsed in Lagos.

    The incident occurred around 11am at 11, Sand Beach Lane, off Alonge Street in Oworonshoki on the outskirts of the city. The building was under construction.

    A resident, Joshua Michael, said the materials used for the building were of good quality, but added that its foundation was weak.

    An old building was demolished for the erection of the collapsed structure.

    It was learnt that the owner and the contractor fled when the building fell.

    Rescue agencies came to the aid of those trapped in the debris. They were said to be working on the building when it collasped.

    The Search and Rescue Officer of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr Fakolade Olatunbosun, told The Nation: “Immediately we got the news of the collapsed building at 12 noon, LASEMA by-stand men were informed. We got to the scene as fast as we could and I thank God we were able to rescue all of them who were trapped. No cause for alarm because there was no death. The problem might be from the soil; that is why the state government has stipulated the kind and measure of the soil and other materials to be used in building.”

    Among those rescued are: Monday Ahungbe, 12, Jimoh Adebiyi, 13, Oba Alafia, 14, and Moses Atokiti, 15. They were said to be assisting the six adult construction workers.

    Southwest spokesman, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Ibrahim Farinloye, said the timely intervention of NEMA, LASEMA officials, policemen and operatives of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) saved the victims.

    Farinloye said the teenagers sustained minor injuries and were taken to Folabi Medical Centre in Oworonshoki, before the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mrs. A.B Animasaun, evacuated them for proper rehabilitation.

    He said two of the adult victims with major injuries were taken to Gbagada General Hospital.

    Mrs. Animasaun said the engagement of the kids for such labour constituted child abuse, urging parents to prevent their children from partaking in such exercises.

    The Director of Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe, and spokesman for LASEMA Kehinde Adebayo said the area had been cordoned off.

    He said the victims were receiving free treatment at state-owned hospitals.

  • ‘Ignorance, poor cement use, others cause building collapse’

    The high level of ignorance among consumers coupled with negligence on the part of producers, have been blamed for the controversy over cement quality in the country.

    Founder, Society for Quality Awareness, Abdullahi Mailafia pointed out that there was no substandard cement in the country, but a misapplication of use of the existing types of cement.

    Nigeria, he said, is not isolated from the proven correlation and direct relationship between falling standards or misapplication of cement produced and the frequency of collapsed buildings in any country, because the higher the amount of misapplication of cement types used in construction, the higher the number of collapsed buildings and physical structure.

    “The right knowledge and application of cement types in the country will be to the benefit of manufacturers, architects, engineers, foremen and builders, under their respective associations and groups as well as artisans and the general public,” Mailafia said, adding that)) consumers need to deepen their knowledge of goods and services on offer, not only about cement, but on all other goods in the market.

    To address the issue, he said the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) should summon a meeting of technical committee of stakeholders for a review of the practice, taking into consideration what happens in other countries.

    He commended SON for ensuring standard and quality of other building materials such as steel to be of international standard and its efforts in upgrading national quality infrastructure such as the enumeration of standards, upgrading of testing laboratories like the one which offers testing of building materials in Enugu. He said attention must be focused on cement, which is a major component of any building or construction work.

    A coalition of civil society groups and professional bodies in the construction industry recently threatened to launch a major campaign for what they called the “standardisation of cement production and importation in Nigeria”.

    According to them, government is turning a blind eye to the scourge of substandard cement in the country. They seek to engage other groups such as the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and the National Assembly to help in the fight for standard cement in country and the enforcement of building codes.

  • Five die in Kaduna building collapse

    Five people have been killed when an abandoned church building collapsed in Angwan Dosa, Kaduna.

    The abandoned building, said to belong to St. Faith Catholic Church, collapsed when some workers hired to demolish it were working on Saturday.

    Four of them died instantly; the fifth died in a hospital.

    It was gathered that the building was deserted by worshippers after the 2011 post-election violence, which forced them to relocate to other places.

    The church was said to have sold the building to Suleiman Danzaria, who contracted Mohammed Idris to assist in the demolition.

    A source said after the monthly sanitation, about 25 workers were brought in to demolish the building.

    He said: “The workers arrived at the site around 10am and began work around 10.45am.

    “Suddenly, the decking collapsed and 15 of them were trapped. Ten escaped unhurt, four died on the spot and another died at a hospital.”

    Deputy Governor Nuhu Audu Bajoga visited the scene and sympathised with the families of the deceased.

    He visited Almadiya Hospital where the victims were treated and instructed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to move them to the 44 Army Reference Hospital.

    Bajoga, who was accompanied by the agency’s Executive Secretary, assured that the government would pay the bills of the two injured workers.

    He asked property developers to use the right machines to demolish buildings to avoid casualties.

    The deputy governor condemned the attitude of property owners, who employ labourers to use bad equipment.

  • Fivedead, many injured in Lagos building collapse

    Fivedead, many injured in Lagos building collapse

    No fewer than five persons were confirmed dead and more than 30 injured yesterday, following the collapse of a twin four-storey building in Lagos.

    The building, which is located beside the Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA), was still under construction.

    Eyewitnesses claimed that the building caved in around 3pm, trapping about 50 workers.

    Unofficial sources said about 10 bodies had been evacuated from the collapsed structure said to be a shopping mall.

    Officials of the Red Cross, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said five bodies were recovered. But, officials of the LCDA said only two people died.

    Eyewitnesses blamed the death recorded on the delay of rescue operations, as well as the unavailability of adequate equipment.

    At the time of visit, (6:45pm), The Nation observed that crude tools were being used to gain access to the building.

    “Those who died would not have if rescue agencies had got here early. They did not get here until we had rescued about 20 bodies. We also recovered two corpses before the officials got here.

    “You can see that we are using manual labour because no equipment are available. Moreover, the building is congested, such that there is hardly a space for a crane to be brought in,” said one of the sources.

    A crane and caterpillar were brought in at about 8:30pm, and have not been used at the time of filing this report.

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, put the dead toll at three with about five in critical condition, who have been moved to the Accident and Emergency Trauma Centre, Seven Up Toll Gate.

    LASEMA’s General Manager, Femi Oke-Osayintolu when contacted on telephone, said: “A twin four-storey building located at 1-7 Muri Okunola Street, VI collasped partially and completely respectively.

    “15 persons have been rescued so far while three bodies have been recovered. Rescue operations are still on-going.”

    According to officials at a Medical Doctor at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), where rescued victims were taken to for first aid, about 35 injured victims had been transferred to another hospital, with five victims still at the hospital.

    Joseph, a security guard in the building, told The Nation that he was inside his apartment when he heard a loud sound.

    “I was inside this place (pointing at the security room) when I heard a heavy noise. But before that noise, the building has been shaking in the afternoon.

    “While the workers were casting, I realised that the building was shaking and around 3pm, it just sank.

    “About 50 workers are in this premises, though, not all of them were trapped under. Some were able to run out, but several others could not.

    “So far, about 10 dead people have been removed and many others have serious injuries, I do not know if they will survive,” he said.

    When asked who the owner of the building is, he said:” I do not know oga’s name. It is not long I started working with them but I know thebuilding is a shopping complex.”

    One of the survivors, Adeola Akinpelu, told The Nation that two of his brothers (from Ibadan) were still trapped in the building.

    He said: “Two of my brothers are still under the debris. I was working on the other side and stepped out to buy water. So, when I got back, I saw that the building had collapsed with my brothers and friends trapped inside.”

    Akinpelu was, however, stopped from speaking with by other survivors, who claimed they had been warned not to speak on the issue.

    The Nation observed that men of the Maroko Police Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Johnson Akinola and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) controlled the crowd and cordoned off the building.

    At the time of filing this story (9:14pm), more persons were still trapped in the rubble and rescue operations were still ongoing.

     

  • Towards a strict building code

    Towards a strict building code

    How can building collapses be stopped? It is by the enforcement of a strict building code, say experts at a forum held by the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to address this recurring issue. SEYI ODEWALE reports.

    They gathered in Abuja not for a jamboree but for the serious business of curbing the increasing rate of building collapse across the country.

    The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amma Pepple, convened, the meeting, which was held in conjunction with the National Building Code Advisory Committee, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). It was to revalidate and press for the adoption of the revised building code.

    The first edition of the code was published in 2006, with a provision for its review every three years. The effort was necessitated by the need to update the code to correct the lapses and omissions identified; align them with the current policy direction of government and adequately curb the alarming rate of building collapse in urban centres. It is also believed by construction experts that the updated code would ensure conformity with the International Building Code, which emphasises the seriousness of fire hazards in buildings and the provision of fire protection system in buildings, particularly high-rise buildings.

    It is believed that the code will not only arrest building collapse but will tackle the use of substandard materials in construction and address lack of maintenance of buildings, among others.

    Worried by the low level of adherence to the code since 2006, Ms Pepple said states should adopt it to maintain the prescribed standards in the building and construction industry. She noted that its enforcement would regulate the construction of buildings and non-building structures. Building collapses, Pepple said, was not because of lack of requisite laws but ineffectiveness in their enforcements.

    Giving an insight into the meeting, President, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) Chucks Omeife said: “The meeting was a re-validation meeting of professionals and stakeholders in the built environment. It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and was chaired by Hon. Minister of the Ministry, whose mandate included providing a working document for the regulation of the built environment.

    “Earlier all stakeholders submitted memoranda as input in the process of reviewing the National Building Code. We were then requested to come together to agree on the different inputs that will ensure that the code is effective and its implementation capable of resolving all the problems associated with the built environment. The major problem that we tried to provide solution for was building collapse.”

    He added: “The Nigerian Institute of Building’s position has been that the gap in the existing framework is some of the major reasons for building collapse and disconnect between Design and Construction. It has become very necessary for the building approval process to be strengthened to cope with the various challenges in the built environment.  The inclusion of Builders’ document as enshrined in the code being reviewed is a very practical way of solving the prevalent problem of building collapse across the country.

    “The Builders document include: Quality management plan, health and safety plan and construction programme of work. This document engenders efficient and quality delivery of building works.  This is why we strongly believe that the inclusion of this document as a pre-condition for granting approval will guarantee professional involvement of the builder who is responsible for building production and management of building works.

    “There is no new code yet as stakeholders inputs are still being collated. It is after the collation that another meeting will be held to ensure that input is truly captured. It is after this that the code can be said to have been reviewed.”

    Listing what necessitated the review of the code, Omeife said the plan-less nature of our towns and cities; incessant cases of buildings collapse; fire in high-rise buildings; built environment abuses and other disasters; dearth of referenced design standards for professionals; use of non-professionals; use of untested products and materials; inadequate regulations and sanctions against offender were some of the reasons that prompted the organisers of the meeting.

    NIOB also at its 43th Annual General Meeting (AGM), which also held in Abuja last week had building collapse on its agenda. Omeife in his welcome address said the menace of building collapse, which is avoidable, “cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the competence of professionals in the built environment, since it has been established that there is a missing link and a gap in the existing regulatory framework.”

    He added: “One of the most enduring solutions to the problem of building collapse is for the government to take the enabling bill which is supposed to give a legal backing to the National Building Code as an executive bill to hearten its promulgation by the National Assembly. This way the buildings waiting to collapse can be perverted and sanity can return to a large extent to the built environment.”

    Pepple in her keynote address at the AGM with the theme: “Transformation of the building industry, possibilities and realities,” said the building industry was replete with enormous challenges, which according to her are surmountable.

    She said: “The challenges are not insurmountable though. It is encouraging that they are being addressed by the current administration under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Accordingly, the policy framework for ensuring an integrated and coordinated effort for the accomplishment of the national strategic objective of transforming the housing and urban development sector has been put in place through the approved National Housing and Urban Development Policies. The framework reflects the priorities and strategies of the sector, as enunciated in Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda.

    “A national integrated infrastructure master plan, with a strong housing and urban and regional development, is at the final stage of its development. A revised national building code will soon be presented to government for approval to ensure better safety standards and the protection of lives and property from avoidable hazards arising from the occupancy of buildings, structures and premises.”

    Concluding her address she said: “The preponderance of quacks in the built environment is very distressing, and needs to be addressed. Other sharp practises such as the use of inferior building materials, inadequate supervision, change of building design on site after approval, inadequate use of building materials for construction and failing to abide by planning rules and regulations will no longer be tolerated. I therefore, urge you all to be familiar with the provisions of the revised national building code because once it is approved, priority attention will be accorded to its strict enforcement by which time there will be no room for excuses.”

    In his address, the chairman of the occasion and former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais said the collapse of building is one of the most challenging problems facing the urbanising of the nation. “This is a source of concern not only to the professionals and the government, but also to everyone. The frequencies of collapse of buildings and the associated negative consequences have continued to place doubts on the effectiveness of all the efforts being made to stem the menace,” he said.

    To stem the tide of building collapse, he said: “The industry has to look inwardly; the building environment is dynamic and is becoming increasingly complex. There is the need to keep your members abreast of evolving technologies in the construction industry in order to meet new challenges.”

    He continued: “There is the need also for the National Assembly, as a matter of urgency, to pas the Building Code bill, which has been lying before it and which I hear is also undergoing review by the professionals in the building industry under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Passing the bill will help in no small measure, because, the building code provisions are intended to take care of most of the problems mentioned above. The building code is the appropriate and most effective regulatory framework for monitoring and controlling the various stages in the execution of building project. Also, it will make the professionals in the industry to professionalise the operations of the construction business in Nigeria.”

  • 30 children escape death in building collapse

    30 children escape death in building collapse

    Thirty children narrowly escaped death yesterday when an uncompleted three-storey building under which they were studying collapsed.

    The building on Elelewo Road in Akpajo community of Rivers State reportedly collapsed around 10.30 am.

    There was no casualty.

    The kids were said to be on the holiday lesson organised by Olacine Educational Centre, which was using the ground floor of the building.

    When The Nation arrived the scene, the main entrance to the compound was locked; there was nobody to brief the reporter.

    However, a neighbour, Michael Oyiri, said he watched the children run for safety.

    “I was watching the whole thing through my fence. The luck that the kids had is that the building started collapsing from the back of the third floor.

    “The owner of the building had asked everybody to vacate the compound for fear that government might take over the building because its erection lacked due process,” he said.

    Jacob Nduda, an engineer, who said he had worked on the site with the owner of the building said the woman might have gone into hiding.

    He revealed that the soil where the building was located was not tested by experts before the engineers were asked to go the site.

    Efforts to reach the landlady failed.

  • Five die, many injured as another building collapses in Lagos

    Five die, many injured as another building collapses in Lagos

    .occupants broke our seal, says state government
    .NEMA chased out of site
    Five people,  including a 13-year old girl  on Sunday  died in Lagos following the collapse of a two-storey building.
    The building located at 30/32 Ishaga Road, Ikate, Surulere, was said to have collapsed around 10am while it was raining.
    Eyewitnesses told The Nation that no fewer than 10 people sustained various degrees of injuries, with about four rushed to the hospital for emergency or surgical attention.
    It was learnt that the  victims of the mishap included  passersby who  stopped at the uncompleted building for shelter from the rain.
    Among them, The Nation learnt was the teenager, who was said to be a bread seller and  a tailor, whose machine was brought out but his body not yet seen.
    Although eyewitnesses believed some people were still trapped under the collapsed building, Lagos State Government officials had a different view.
    One Prince Tony Anslem, a Rotarian, said he was in church when they heard the building collapsed. He insisted that some people may still be trapped in the debris, noting that while they were trying to rescue the victims, they heard cries of helpless people saying “we are still here o! We are still here o!
    He said: “Although I am not wearing a wristwatch, this building collapsed in the morning when it was raining. We were in church, when we heard the sound. Because my church is not far from here, we quickly rushed down and were the first to start evacuating the victims before the emergency response agencies were contacted.
    “As a Rotary member and a volunteer for things like this, I moved in here and saw what was happening. Immediately, we mobilized the youths in the area and the moved into action. We were able to act swiftly because the dredging company working around here employed the youths.
    “So, we told them to drive their truck and other equipment. They were initially afraid that their boss would not be happy but when they realized it was an emergency, they co-operated with us. So, we were evacuating the victims before National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, got here immediately after. Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, got here early too.
    “Before the emergency agencies got here, the youths in the area have rescued five people alive. At that time, it was only half of the house that was down. I was telling the people there to rush out because the other half will certainly fall.
    “They refused to listen to me and even called me a wizard for saying that. They said instead of helping them bring out their things, I am telling them the other half will collapse as well. A lot of people got injured. I cannot quantify the number but I saw more than 10 people.
    “You know it was raining and people ran under the shed. I still believe there are people trapped under the debris. The issue now is that the bread seller we were expecting to meet was a lady carrying a baby but the one we eventually met dead, was the teenage girl with no baby.
    “So, it means either that bread seller with the baby is still under there or the baby is trapped there. Secondly, while we were standing here, one of the rescued victims told us that someone gave them a call that they were still trapped in there.
    “When we moved in, we were hearing their voice “we are still here o! We are still here o! But as we moved half way towards them, we did not hear the voice again and that was when two people were rushed out dead and we did not get to where those people are.
    “So far, five corpses have been removed. Lagos State Government has taken four corpses, while mallams took their own immediately.  People are under here, even a tailor, obioma, they brought his things out but where is he?”
    Confirming the incident , both NEMA’s information officer, Ibrahim Farinloye and LASEMA’s General Manager, Osayintolu said five corpses have been recovered.
    Farinloye told The Nation that one of the injured victims was rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, for surgery, while two others were taken to emergency wards.
    Osayintolu said: “it occurred around 10am and immediately we activated our emergency team. We have build our local networks so much that members of our local emergency management committee were on ground and acted swiftly in response of the crisis.
    “We were able to safe five people. Two have been discharged while three are being treated in our emergency care unit. One is undergoing operation at the General Hospital but it is sympathetic to note that we recovered five bodies.
    “However, the operation was swift, prompt efficient and effective.”
     Meanwhile, The Nation met NEMA officials at about 3:30pm leaving the site of the mishap and they alleged they were chased out by the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Wale Ahmed.
    NEMA alleged that state officials were angry that Farinloye was granting media interview, hence, they were molested out of the site since it was a state government affair.
    However, Ahmed denied chasing NEMA out of the site and told The Nation he was not aware if anyone molested them.
    He said: “I did not chase them out and I am not even aware if anyone did.
    “But to put the facts straight, NEMA is a secondary responder. In any state where you have state emergency management committee, it is that committee that is primary responder. It is the state that will call NEMA if we need their assistance or if the situation is beyond our control.”
    On whether building collapse has become a norm in the state, Ahmed disagreed and said that for every one building that collapses, several others that would have caused hazards have been demolished.
    “It is not a norm. For every single building that collapses, there are so many that we have been able to avert by either testing or doing a controlled demolition. Sometimes we go to the extent of evacuating the occupants.
    “We have prevented so many buildings from collapsing. Of course, you will not get to hear of those ones that we have saved or prevented, it is only the unfortunate ones you will know about.
    “This particular building is under construction. We were called that the building has collapsed and we came here. Honestly, at the moment, I cannot tell you what let to its collapse. We will get more facts on paper works and official document for you later because at the moment, we are trying to see how many more people we can save. We have been able to safe five people who are in good condition. “
    Also Speaking, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, Dr. Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, said the collapsed building was sealed about three weeks ago. She decried the rate at which occupants of such buildings violate the state’s regulation.
    She said: “We have 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. Whenever we seal buildings, we expect the owners to come with their various document but this particular building never turned up.
    “This construction started even before the establishment of our agency and they were not certified. We told them they have to stop work. We do monitor but unfortunately, they decided to work on a Sunday when our offices are closed. That is why this building collapsed.
    “For this to have happened, it means they broke our seal. The building is substandard and there was no approval.”

     

  • Mumbai building collapse kills nine

    At least nine people have been killed in the collapse of a building on the outskirts of the Indian city of Mumbai.

    More people are trapped inside the three-storey building in Thane district, 35km (20 miles) from Mumbai. Rescue operations are continuing.

    The cause of the collapse in not known, but BBC says such incidents are common in India and often blamed on poor construction practices.

    In April, 74 people were killed in another building collapse in Thane.

    And earlier this month, four people were killed when a five-storey building collapsed in Mumbai.

    The latest incident happened early on Friday when the residential building caved in, officials said.

    The building was home to nine families and most people were asleep at the time of the collapse, Sandeep Malvi, spokesman for the Thane municipal corporation, told the BBC.

    It was not known what caused the collapse, but Mr. Malvi said it was an “old building” constructed in 1979 and that rains in the area over the past few days could have caused the incident.

    14 people who were injured in the incident have been admitted to hospital.

    “There are more trapped inside and rescue operations are in full swing,” Mr. Malvi said.

     

     

  • One dies in Lagos building collapse

    A building under construction has collapsed in Badagry, a Lagos suburb, killing a carpenter, Kehinde Williams (28).

    The building, which belongs to the Onibereko of Ibereko, Oba Isreal Okoya, collapsed around 10:40am on Saturday.

    The building, which is close to the Customs Quarters at Ibereko, was said to be a hotel.

    Williams was working under the security house when it collapsed on him. The fence of a house, owned by Dr. Dele Adetoku, was affected.

    Adetoku said: “I was in my bedroom around 10:40am when the building collapsed. The sound was frightening because the building is directly behind my window. It was not the main building that collapsed. It was an adjacent building, which had about three rooms upstairs.

    “I am still in shock, because around 10:30am, I told the workers to remove some cement debris that messed up my compound when they are done with their day’s work and I went back to my room. About 10 minutes later, I heard that sound. It affected a part of my fence, but my building was not affected.”

    A source, who pleaded for anonymity, said the building was being constructed in a hurry. She said the accident would have been avoided if the workers had advised the Oba appropriately.

    The source said it took several hours before Kehinde’s remains were removed from the debris.

    Although Oba Okoya said it was rain that caused the collapse, the source claimed that there was no rain.

    She said: “It did not rain at Ibereko today (Saturday). I think the problem is that they did not allow the cement work to dry up before they started the carpentry work. The workers should have advised the Oba to wait because it is their field. Maybe they were afraid to talk to the Oba and went ahead with the work. Now, imagine the disaster as well as the money that has been lost.”

    Oba Okoya sympathised with the family of the deceased. He said Kehinde had been buried and he has met with his parents.

    He said: “The building did not collapse; it was my security gate that collapsed. Nobody who is building would want his building to collapse. And as the Oba, I do not want my subjects, especially the young ones, to die.

    “Those who are saying the Oba has killed or is killing his people are my opponents and, as you know, everybody must not agree with me or like me. It was the heavy rain that caused the collapse and no building was affected. Kehinde was the carpenter and he was working under the gatehouse.

    “I sympathise with his family and Ibereko people. It was an unfortunate incident. Kehinde was buried on Saturday and I have been meeting with his family. I still met with them yesterday morning (Sunday). I love my people and want the best for them.”