The death toll in a collapsed building, early Thursday, in
Lagos has risen to six. Emergency rescue officials have revealed that
seven people, including two children aged 2 and 4, have been rescued
from the rubble.
The 3-storey building at Oloto Street, Ebute Meta, collapsed at about 2.35 a.m. trapping about 10 people.
Rescue efforts are still ongoing.
UPDATE: 10 Confirmed Dead, More Still Projected
Scores
of trapped residents of the three-storey building that collapsed early
this morning at the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos have continued crying out
for help hours after the house caved in.
Ten corpses have been pulled out of the rubble so far.
It
is estimated that almost a hundred people reside in the building.
However, it is not yet clear how many were inside as at the time of the
collapse.
As at the time of this report, the only rescue operation
going on is by a vigilante group and residents of the area who have
tried to attack the debris with bare hands and any equipment they can
find.
Police
officers from the nearby Denton Police Station have also assisted in
the rescue work while officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service
(LASAMBUS) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) have
just arrived the scene..
“This is sad,” said Musbau Agbodimu, the
head of the vigilante group in the area. “Just two days into the Ramadan
fast and we are hearing such terrible news. The vigilante group went
into action immediately we learnt about the collapsed building; with the
assistance of residents and the area boys. The police are here now.
The
LASAMBUS, LASEMA and other rescue workers from the government are here
now. We need excavators. As I am standing, they have removed ten
corpses. We need help here urgently as the crowd is trooping in to catch
a glimpse of the collapsed building. More than 100 occupants, including
children and women, live in the ill fated building and they are trapped
crying for help. It is a terrible thing.”
A resident of the area, who identified himself as Seyi, said the building collapsed about 2.10am.
“We
heard the loud noise but nobody could do anything at that time due to
the darkness,” he said. “Some of the women were preparing the Ramadan
food when the building caved in. But it was about 6.00am that people
noticed and came out to help in the rescue operation.”
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