The Guardian learnt that children were allegedly employed by the site engineer in charge of the construction, with over 30 persons reportedly on-site at the time of the incident.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, but it was revealed that the building owner had ignored several warning signs prior to the incident .
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had marked the building two weeks earlier and instructed workers to vacate the site. However, this directive was ignored, with construction workers continuing their activities and even sleeping in the building.
Speaking to The Guardian, an anonymous worker in the area said: “There were clear warning signs that the building was faulty. LASBCA marked the building, but the engineer deployed more workers. Many of the workers were underage boys, and they are not Nigerians.”
On-scene Incident Commander of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Operations, Adedokun Adewale, explained: “We received the report late in the evening and discovered the incident occurred at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
“We responded alongside Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), the Nigeria Police Force, and other stakeholders. Fourteen persons were rescued on the day of the incident and taken to Marina General Hospital. Two bodies were recovered that evening, while two more were found yesterday morning, and an additional person was rescued alive.”
The site engineer, who is currently hospitalised, is expected to provide the exact number of workers present at the site once he recovers.
An eyewitness, Bartholomew Jacob, stated: “Over 30 people were in the building when it collapsed. Many of those recovered could not be recognised.”
