4-STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSES IN LAGOS, SCORES TRAPPED

By NBF News

A four-storey building yesterday collapsed on Lagos Island, leaving scores of occupants trapped.

The building located on 24 Alli Street off Tinubu Street collapsed at about 5.15pm. An eyewitness who spoke to Daily Sun said the collapse of the building, which was developed by a housing developer 14 years ago did not come as a surprise as it had since manifested signs of structural defects.

He revealed that the building had earlier been marked by the Lagos State government for demolition, adding that the owner who had just retrieved the building from the developers who collected rent on the building for 15 years had been assuring them of his plans to rehabilitate the house.

According to him, the three upper floors were occupied by tenants who used the building as residential apartments, while the ground floor was occupied by traders.

Another eyewitness who gave his name simply as Mr. Gabriel  told Daily Sun urged the state government to constitute a task force to appraise most of the recently built houses in the Island to ascertain their structural integrity.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban  Development, Mr. Francis Abosede said Messrs Julius Berger Plc has been contacted to release cranes and other heavy equipment needed for rescue operation to officials of the Lagos State  Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA).

Amid commotion caused by the collapse, street urchins popularly known as 'Area Boys' were seen carrying out rescue work to save the people trapped in the debris.

As at the time of filling this report over 14 occupants including an aged woman identified as Mama Iyabo and children had been rescued and immediately rushed to the hospital by LASAMBUS ambulances on standby in the area.