A
five-storey shopping complex under-construction at 9, Muri Okunola
Street, in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, yesterday, collapsed killing at
least three persons and injuring 15 others.
At
8:30p.m., when Vanguard visited the scene, it was gathered that scores of
persons might still be trapped under the debris.
At the
scene, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Red
Cross and men of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, attached to the Maroko Station,
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Lagos Command, were sighted
still battling to rescue the trapped persons.
Of the 15
rescued, five are said to be in critical conditions and have been admitted at
the Accident and Emergency Centre, Toll Gate, Ikeja while others were admitted
at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, hospital, few metres away
from the scene. It was learnt that the construction workers were casting the
decking and the pillars when the building caved-in on them at about 4:00p.m.
An
eyewitness, Mr. Adetayo Olaseni stated: “The building collapsed at about
4:00p.m. while construction works were still ongoing. This led to pandemonium,
as everyone scampered for safety.”
Another
eye-witness, Miss Blessing Osundare said: “I heard a loud bang and all I
saw was that the entire building had collapsed on the workers. While some
escaped unhurt, others are still trapped under the debris.
“I can’t
say this is the number of people here, but I know that they were more than 60
persons working at the site.”
Confirming
the tragedy, the General Manager of LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu
said: “A twin four-storey building located at Muri Okunola Street, Victoria
Island collapsed.”
“Fifteen
persons have been rescued so far while three corpses have been recovered
from the debris.
“Rescue
operations are still on-going and we are assuring residents that they should
not panic. We are on top of the issue.”
Vanguard.
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