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Tag: Collapsed building

  • Ondo Govt seals collapsed two-storey building site, warns developers

    Ondo Govt seals collapsed two-storey building site, warns developers

    The Ondo State Government has sealed off the site of a two-storey building that collapsed at Adegbola area of Akure, the state capital.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the building which was under construction collapsed on Tuesday at about 3.30pm leaving many site workers injured.

    The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Sunday Olajide, ordered the immediate sealing of the building site.

    Olajide, who was at the collapsed building site with the ministry’s officials on Tuesday evening, said the government would commence immediate investigation to uncover the causes of the incident to prevent future occurrence.

    Read Also: Ex-Minister Diezani arraigned in London court over ‘£100,000 bribery’ trial

    The commissioner warned building contractors and developers in the state against the use of sub-standard building materials to avoid incidence that could cause sudden loss of life and property.

    “This is a call to all developers and building contractors to always secure necessary permits and approvals before commencing construction projects and also maintain the approval standard during construction,” he said.

    Olajide, who noted that no life was lost in the incident, expressed sadness that many site workers were left with varying degree of injuries.

    He added that even though the state government had sealed off the construction site, further action would be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.

    (NAN)

  • Ebonyi seals two hostels, launches investigation into collapsed building

    Ebonyi seals two hostels, launches investigation into collapsed building

    Following the collapse of a building, Pentagon Lodge, located directly in front of the main gate of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State government on Saturday, visited the scene of the incident.

     Although the incident occurred outside the university’s premises, the lodge is fully occupied by students of AE-FUNAI, though no lives were lost, the state government is treating the incident with utmost seriousness.

     The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Capital City Development, Sunday Inyima, who led an on-the-spot assessment of the scene, directed that all students residing in Pentagon Lodge be immediately evacuated to safer accommodation.

     The Commissioner also sealed off Kalas Lodge, another nearby hostel, to allow for a thorough integrity test and investigation into the structural safety of the building.

    Inyima was accompanied by officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Chairman of Ikwo Local Government Council, Sunday Nwankwo, and members of the AE-FUNAI management team.

    Read Also: Three rescued from Abuja collapsed building

     He appealed to the university authorities to provide temporary accommodation to the displaced students pending the outcome of the structural assessment.

     He said: “We received information early this morning about the collapse of a private hostel near the university. Though it is not located within the school compound, it is fully occupied by AE-FUNAI students. .

     We first paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), before proceeding to the site.

     “To our greatest shock, we saw a massive structural collapse. It was by divine intervention that no lives were lost. However, government will not take this lightly. For a long time, we have warned developers to follow due process and ensure adherence to building codes.

     “Our preliminary assessment suggests that substandard materials and lack of professional supervision contributed to the collapse.

     “We are setting up an inter-ministerial committee to ensure all student hostels around the university are safe. The safety of our sons and daughters is our top priority.”

     Inima stressed that although the investigation was ongoing, early signs point to gross violations of building standards, and those responsible would be held accountable once findings are made public.

     Meanwhile, the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the hostel building.

    Nwifuru expressed deep concern over the incident, stressing that most cases of building collapse in Nigeria are the result of human error and the failure to comply with established building codes.

     He noted that such negligence poses a serious threat to human life.

  • Nine rescued, others trapped as building collapses in Lagos

    Nine rescued, others trapped as building collapses in Lagos

    Nine persons have been rescued and three others  feared trapped after a two-storey building collapsed in Ikorodu, a Lagos district.

    The incident occurred at Otta Ona Junction, near Mobil Gas Station in Ikorodu on Tuesday afternoon.

    According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the collapsed building was under construction.

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    LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said teams were mobilised from Agbowa and Alausa to attain to the emergency when a distress call was received.

    He confirmed that three people were reported trapped in the rubble at the time the rescue teams arrived the scene.

    “Nine male adults were rescued and treated on-site by LASEMA pre-hospital care unit. Three persons were reported trapped and no death was confirmed at the time of this report,” he said.

    The LASEMA boss said search and rescue efforts commenced immediately, adding that safety perimeter was established at the scene, while excavation of debris had commenced to aid quick location of the trapped victims.

  • Ita-Faaji collapsed building: Lagos vows to implement recommendations of report

    The Lagos State government yesterday received report of the five-man panel set up to investigate immediate
    and remote causes of the collapsed three-storey building on 63 Massey street, Ita-Faaji axis of Lagos Island.

    It would be recalled that the building, which was also used for school, caved in, claiming 20 lives including pupils of Ohen Nursery and Primary School.

    Receiving the report, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, said more distressed buildings had been detected across the state divisions by the state’s  building control agency, LASBCA, urging residents to alert the government on suspected weak buildings.

    The commissioner, however, added that the not all the buildings that might have to be demolished after they undergo non-destructive structural integrity test, adding that some might only require structural re-engineering works.

    Earlier, while presenting the report, the panel Chairman, Wasiu Olokuonla,  an engineer, said  contrary to the reports in the media, the collapsed building on Ita-Faji was not three or two-storey  but a five storey.

    Olokunola, who refused to disclose the committee’s findings and recommendations publicly, added forensic evidences were also carried out in the course of the investigations into the cause of building collapse tragedy.

    Meanwhile, assuring residents of the government’s commitment to implement the committee’s recommendations, the commissioner, said that Ambode-led administration would ensure the report was carefully studied and recommendation implemented.

  • Collapsed building: Chief Imam hails govt’s response

    The Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla has praised the Lagos State Government for its prompt response and adequate care of the survivors of the Massey Street collapsed building at Ita- Faji on Lagos Island.

    Sheikh Abou-Nolla told The Nation after visiting survivors at the General Hospital, Lagos Island.

    He was joined by the five divisional imams in Ikorodu, Ikeja, Badagry, Lagos and Epe and the mission board members of the Lagos Central Mosque.

    They clerics were taken around the survivors’ wards by the hospital’s Head of Social Welfare Department, Oluwakemi Okunmuyide.

    “We thank Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Commissioner for Health Dr Jide Idris and the hospital management for helping to ease the pains of the affected people. It is important at that point that the people are in trauma, they need trauma management, they need our prayers, they need our support – financially, physically and mentally to return to their normal lives. We pray to Almighty Allah not to witness such an occurrence again. We pray Allah to guide and protect us from calamities. We pray to Allah to ease their pains,” Sheikh  Abou-Nolla said.

    The Chief Imam of Lagos State urged the Lagos State Government to ensure strict compliance with building regulations.

    This, the revered cleric said, would curb collapsed of buildings in the state.

    According to him, the agency in charge of building regulations (Lagos State Building Control Agency) should ensure defective buildings are taking down.

    “We should not wait for this kind of unfortunate incident before we do the needful. It is better to pull down defective buildings than to lose lives. We all know that it is a technical issue and what is important is for us is to maintain the code of building which is very important to avoid building collapse. Those in charge should ensure compliance with the regulations. It is important to have LASBCA officials go out to check defective buildings and do the needful. This will help reduce calamities happening today because, in every country, there are mechanisms to check defective buildings. When we have dilapidated buildings, they need to take them down,” he said.

  • Collapsed building: Estate valuer commiserates with victims’ families

    A foremost estate valuer and surveyor, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, has called on the Lagos State government to embark on the construction of low-income houses.

    Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, Lagos Central Senatorial candidate of PDP, while commiserating with the parents and families of children and residents who lost their lives in the collapsed building that occurred in the Ita Faaji area of Lagos, in a statement, described the incident as highly regrettable and a big disaster to the entire people of Lagos State.

    ”I sympathize with all Lagosians, particularly,  Lagos Island residents, over the tragic death of innocent people that lost their lives in the building collapse that occurred at Ita Faaji in Lagos island.

    “May the souls of our dearly beloved trapped in the unfortunate incident rest in peace.  May Allah comfort and console members of their families. May we never witness such devastation again,” Onitiri said.

    He called on the Lagos State Government to immediately commence building of low-cost housing to accommodate our low-income families at very affordable prices.

    “The role of government is to provide accommodation for the poor. Government has no role in profiteering on housing scheme or building houses for the rich. The rich can provide homes for themselves.”

    “I urge Lagos State government to immediately resettle families of those affected in the tragic incident, “ he said.

    Read also: APC defiant as tribunal voids Oyetola’s election

    He noted with dismay the incidence of building collapse happening all over the country which he said was becoming very worrisome.

    He said care must be taken to involve professionals in the design, approval and construction processes.

    “Government cannot afford to run away from its responsibilities of welfare provision of affordable homes for our teeming population”, Onitiri said.

  • Prayers for victims, survivors of collapsed building

    Sympathisers yesterday gathered on the scene of the collapsed building to pray for the victims and survivors.

    The prayers were organised by the House of Prayers.

    Christian and Muslim clerics took turns to pray for the victims, survivors, and their family members.

    House of Prayers said accommodation and money would be provided for them.

    Pupils from other schools also came to sympathise with the survivors.

    The clerics urged the victim’s families, relatives and friends to take solace in God, saying God gives and takes.

    A minute’s silence was observed for the victims.

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), yesterday called on the Lagos State Government to admit pupils of Ohen Private Nursery and Primary School, Lagos Island, in public schools.

    The group said this after donating relief materials to the survivors.

    CSACEFA Acting Lagos Coordinator Mrs. Aderonke Kimemenihia-Eseka said the right to education for the children must not be truncated by safety inadequacy, “which has assaulted our moral sense and has sadly evoked deeper concerns about the role of safety in our educational system.”

    The group, therefore, enjoined the state government to make provision for affected children through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for immediate admission into public primary schools.

    This, Mrs Kimemenihia-Eseka said, would not make them miss the present school term.

    Read also: Drama as LASEMA, LASBCA disagree on collapsed building

    The government, she said, should establish more public primary schools to cater for the educational needs of children in communities where private schools appear to be thriving due to the distance of public schools.

    She called for more strict supervision and monitoring of safety guidelines by all schools across the state, especially private schools.

    “A quality assurance seal that must only be handed over to supervised and monitored schools after health and safety audits. We recommend this activity to take place annually. The government should extend the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) model to cater to private schools and strengthening existing SBMCs in public primary schools,” she said.

  • Tinubu seeks adequate treatment for them

    All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday urged the Lagos State government to ensure adequate treatment for the survivors of the collapsed building.

    Asiwaju Tinubu, who described the incident as tragic, also commiserated with the families .

    The former Lagos governor called on Lagosians to donate blood to the survivors.

    In a condolence message to the families of the victims, the APC leader said the pupils who died did not deserve to die the way they did. He prayed for the repose of the kids’ souls.

    He said the government must fast-track the demolition of any building that failed integrity test.

    A statement signed by Tunde Rahman, his Media Adviser, quoted Tinubu as saying: “The building collapse in Ita-Faji, Lagos Island on Wednesday is a tragic occurrence. I commiserate with the families of those kids who lost their precious lives.

    “They do not deserve to die the way they did. May God comfort their families and grant repose of the souls of those young ones. Government must now ensure adequate medical treatment for the rescued victims.

    “I appeal to Lagosians to voluntarily donate blood not only to victims who urgently require blood but also to improve our blood bank in the state.

    “While we await the inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident, we must all support government’s intervention efforts.

    “The Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory for buildings must be strengthened and the officers must do their work.

    “Government’s laid down regulations on building construction and maintenance must be faithfully respected and enforced. To mobilise support for these regulations, Community Development Associations need to come to government’s aid.

    “If after the collapsed building had been found to be weak and marked for demolition, everybody had done what was required of them, perhaps this terrible incident would have been averted.

    “On its part, the government must fast-track demolition arrangements once a building is discovered to be weak and deserving of being pulled down to save lives.

    “Above all, we must all take appropriate lessons and learn from this sad incident.”

  • Architects call for investigation into collapse of buildings in Abia

    The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) have called on Abia Government to investigate the causes of collapsed buildings in the state.

    The Abia Chapters of NIA and ARCON jointly made the call in Aba, during their fact-finding mission to the sites of recent collapsed buildings in the state on Saturday.

    The associations spoke through the state chairman of NIA, Mr Ikechi Ochulo and Mr Dan Nwnkwo, representative of ARCON.

    Ochulo said that the call was necessitated by the spate of building collapses recently recorded in Aba, which claimed some lives and injured others.

    He said that the fact-finding mission had taken the associations to the Town Planning Authorities of Aba South, Aba North and Osisioma Local Government Areas.

    He said the mission was aimed at ascertaining the authenticity of the architects involved in the collapsed building and how they got their building approvals.

    Ochulo urged the state government to investigate the development and give punishments to builders who cut corners during construction.

    He expressed concern over activities of quacks in the state and wondered how they succeed claiming to be architects, getting their drawings approved by Town Planning Authorities without licence and seal of approval as stipulated by the law governing the profession.

    “We have a situation of when collapses happen in this state, no panel, no investigation takes place.

    “On the part of government, no panel of investigation is set up for culprits to be brought to book so that others will learn.

    “That’s why we plead with the government not to sweep these recent incidents under the carpet like the previous ones. Things must be done properly to help everyone.

    “We have procedures for checkmating this evil. ARCON has made provisions that before Town Planners approve any drawing, they must see the seal of a registered and licenced architect.

    “There’s a security stamp we put on the drawing of every true professional architect, “he said.

    He, however, regretted that the drawings of the collapsed buildings which they saw at the Town Planning Office had none of all these things.

    “This tells you where the problems are coming from. These are part of the things we are seeing that make us call for serious synergy between us and the Town Planning Authorities.

    “The presence of these quacks is a great problem to our profession and the society and when there is a problem like this and we continue with it, we stand the chance of a greater loss ” he said.

    Chief Dan Nwankwo who spoke for ARCON  said the problem in Abia and the nation at large, was  failure of thepeople to engage professionals.

    “So, we are urging the people of this state to form the habit of using professional architects and engineers in their projects.

    “If they do that, there will be no collapse. Over and above that, they should also accept the advice of these professionals during construction so that the building will stand the test of time”, he said.(NAN)

  • UNILAG VC, architects council meet over collapsed building

    University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe and Architects Registration Council Of Nigeria (AR CON) leaders have met over a partially collapsed building in the school.

    The seven-storey building, which is under construction, is being proposed as the new library.

    It is beside the UNILAG bookshop, adjacent to Mariere Hall, near the Senate building.

    The Nation learnt that no one died in the incident.

    ARCON, led by its President, Sir Dipo Ajayi, visited the site on assessment, but could not gain access.

    But he, with council members Kayode Anibaba, Adebayo Dipe and Ladipo Lewis were briefed by Ogundipe.

    Ogundipe said the building was sealed off immediately it collapsed.

    The VC said UNILAG Council Chairman Dr. Wale Babalakin took over further actions on the project and investigations after he was briefed.

    The Nation learnt that ATO Architects, Landmark Structural Engineers, Tuber Consult Quantity Surveyors, IFC Mech and Elect, CPMS Project Manager and Dutum Company Ltd are the project’s consultants.

    Ogundipe said the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) awarded the contract, describing it as a fixed contract with counterpart funding from UNILAG.

    He said he notified the investigative panel raised by the university of his observations about the contractor, his inadequacies and slow pace of work.

    Ajayi requested that Dipe  be allowed to serve on the panel as ARCON’s representative.

    The new Director of Works, Babatunde Oloko, took the ARCON team to the site for  visual inspection.

    The team is expected back today after getting Babalakin’s nod to access the site.