3 killed, 15 rescued, as shopping complex collapses in Lagos

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."