Five rescued from collapsed two-storey building in Lagos

Five people have been rescued from the rubbles of a collapsed two-story building at 7, Rufai Street, Ojuelegba in Surulere Council of Lagos State.

No injury or loss of human life was recorded in the tragedy as at press time.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) revealed that the window of the back flat of the building started giving way about 7 p.m. on Thursday.

However, witnesses reported that the building finally caved in from the back about 8.55 p.m. that same day leading to a distress call to LASEMA officials who mobilised manpower and equipment to the scene in 15 minutes.
 
The incident came less than two weeks that a three-story building collapsed at Magodo Phase I, Lagos.

Some occupants of the 11 units of the mini-flats building stated that virtually all of them had vacated the premises, but that only a few still had some of their belongings in the building.

The Guardian checks revealed that the building had been collapsing gradually since last week, while the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had warned the residents to vacate the building on March 25, 2015, with another notice served on the landlord on May 21 this year.

Speaking, on the incident, the director-general of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, stated, “Looking at this incident holistically, we discovered that the two-story building was highly unstable and the most important thing we needed to do was to take the collapsed building to ground zero. You can see that the place is now safe.

“We have notified the owners of the status of their buildings severally. In 2015, LASBCA put a seal on the house, that the landlord would need to do solid material testing, maintain the building, ensure that the building is properly placed. But he did not respond.

“In 2019 again, he was served notice, but he did not respond until it became an emergency and we had to address it as quickly as possible. Our response was swift, prompt and efficient.”

He appealed to Lagosians to key into Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s agenda of safeguarding lives and property.

“They need to do the needful by ensuring that their houses are properly maintained.”