The death toll from Saturday’s building collapse in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos has risen to seven, emergency officials said on Monday.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, confirmed that 13 people have been rescued so far, bringing the total number of affected individuals to 20.
Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that five adult females and two adult males were confirmed dead. He said the 13 rescued victims comprised four adult females and nine adult males.
The three-storey building, which housed a restaurant and bar, collapsed around 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, prompting a swift emergency response from state and federal agencies.
A distress call had been received by the Lagos emergency command centre, triggering immediate deployment of rescue teams.
“Upon arrival at the incident scene by 09:52hrs, it was discovered that a three-storey building housing a restaurant and bar had collapsed, with several victims trapped under the debris,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
READ ALSO: NEMA reports one death at Ojodu building collapse
Emergency responders from LASEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Nigeria Police have remained at the scene since Saturday, working round the clock to find more victims. Search operations are ongoing, with both heavy and light-duty equipment deployed to reach ground zero.
Officials have attributed the tragedy to unapproved structural modifications made to the building. It was initially an old structure that had been converted to a commercial facility, with additional construction underway before the collapse.
Residents said they had repeatedly voiced concerns about the building’s stability prior to the incident.
“That building was a ticking time bomb,” one resident said. “I barely went there to buy food because I feared it would collapse one day.”
LASEMA has since cordoned off the site and launched an investigation, while urging property owners to obtain proper approvals before making changes to existing buildings.
Crowd control measures remain in place to ensure a safe and secure environment for ongoing operations.
Crediblenewsng.com
