Toddler, Three Others Killed as Buildings Collapse in Lagos

Tragedy struck Thursday in Lagos as another building collapsed, killing a four-year-old girl, an  octogenarian and two others, with 10 others left with varying degrees of injuries.

Although some victims were still buried under the debris as at press time, four children, an elderly woman and five adults had since been rescued through the combined effort of youths in the area and emergency services.

According to an eyewitness account, the incident which happened at Alli Street, Lagos Island, was exacerbated when the first building, a three-storey block of flats, located at No 15 collapsed and fell on a six-bedroom bungalow beside it, thereby increasing the number of casualties.

It was gathered that the three-storey building had already been marked for demolition by the officials of the Lagos State Government, yet it was not vacated until its collapse led to the death of the octogenarian and a trader, who was sleeping under its shade.

Simply identified as Femi, one of the eyewitnesses said the collapsed building was heralded by a loud bang, which shook the house to its foundations before it came crumbling down.

He said although he barely managed to escape, his brother was not so lucky as he sustained fatal injuries on the head and leg.

He said: "Immediately the incident happened and rescue was not in sight, we the local youths organised ourselves and began to dig and bring out the people caught under the rubbles.

"We succeeded in rescuing five children whom the emergency services immediately rushed to Massey Children Hospital for prompt medical attention. It was later we heard that the little girl who sustained a fatal injury in her eye died.

"The adults whom we rescued were taken to Lagos General Hospital for treatment while those with minor injuries were treated in a nearby chemist."

One of the occupants of the bungalow identified as Mr. Joseph Owoeye, said the casualty would have been worse but for the fact that most occupants of both buildings were out.

Speaking on the incident, General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who was on ground with the Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Mr.  Akeem Odumosu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (ASP) said efforts were ongoing to rescue more victims who might be trapped in the ill-fated buildings.

He said: “The unfortunate incident occurred when the three-story building collapsed on a bungalow next to it. Emergency response was activated with all stakeholders on ground.

"10  people were evacuated and taken to the General Hospital and Massey Hospital. Two dead bodies were recovered and has been deposited in the morgue as emergency response is still ongoing. Investigations to ascertain the cause of the collapse will be carried out."

Reacting to the incident, a member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Masha, representing Lagos Island constituency I, described the incident as sad.

He urged Lagosians to always be the eyes of the government by reporting any dilapidated structures in their areas to the state or local government for prompt action.

He said: “We should not continue to wait or shy away from such until many innocent lives are lost to somebody’s selfishness. Let us all work together and salvage our state from the shylock developers."