Tears flowed freely in Ebute Metta, Lagos yesterday when a three-story building collapsed at 29, Oloto Street, killing no fewer than seven people. Eyewitnesses said a couple, a pregnant woman and a toddler were among the casualties of the building collapse. Read more
Ten others were rescued alive by emergency workers and sympathizers. It is believed that The building, which also houses a warehouse where motorcycles were sold, was said to have come down at about 1:30 am, trapping most of the residents who were still asleep at the time.
Most of the occupants and neighbours, it was gathered, noted that the house had always shown signs of defect, as the concrete slabs always fell apart when touched.
According to some of the survivors, they heard some noise and saw cracks in their homes at about 1 a.m. and evacuated themselves from the building immediately. Among the lucky survivor is Fatimo Alake. She is, however, sad that she lost her father Ganiyu Salami. She said her husband was lying unconscious at the General Hospital, Lagos.
Her husband. Olarotimi, according to her, had rushed back into the building to rescue her 87-year-old father. She lamented that both men were both trapped. “My husband was trapped from the waist down while my father died immediately. They could have both made it out alive.
I believe it was God’s wish. He has since been buried according to Muslim rites. We rented the apartment for my father because we wanted him to live close to us,” she said amidst tears. Fatimo, who said she and her husband lived on the second floor, while her died lived on the first floor, disclosed that they had just paid for another year’s rent. Biliki Abdurahim, another lucky survivor, said she owed all thanks to God for sparing her life.
Narrating how she survived the ordeal, she recalled that she heard someone shouting for people to come out of the house. “As I was about stepping out of the house, the building started falling down.
Blocks and concrete fell on me.” Biliki, who wore a swollen face and had lacerations all over her body, was sad that her mother was not that lucky. The old woman, she said, was lying unconscious in the hospital.
She also lamented that all her credentials and those of her other siblings were still buried in the rubble of the collapsed building According to Adenike Ojelabi, who lost a friend, Bukky, to the collapse, she was called at about 5.am about the collapse.
She noted that her friend had been an occupant of the house for about five years. Olanrewaju Kazeem, a member of the search and rescue team that helped in rescuing operations at the site, was happy that his friend, Fola Morris escaped unhurt with his family.
He said his friend heard some noise when he went to use the restroom and hurriedly evacuated his family before the building came down. “As they were stepping out of the building, the building crumbled. I’m just sad that they lost everything.”
Men of the Nigerian Police Force, Fire Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA as well as volunteers were at the scene still searching for survivors. As at the time of filing this story, rescue operation was still on, as it was believed that many were still trapped under the rubble.
The Ebutte Metta incident happened weeks after a similar one in Mushin, another part of Lagos State. According to the director, Lagos State Fire Service, they received a distress call at about 1:30 am, and they turned out their trucks from Sari Iganmu.
He noted that they were the first to get to the scene of the building collapse. They were joined by local volunteers and other agencies to rescue those trapped, he informed.
He noted that the structural integrity of the adjoining houses would be carried out. He noted that buildings close to the ill-fated house might have been affected by vibration, adding that cracks were already visible on some of the buildings.
The Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mefo Chibuzo, described the building collapse as quite unfortunate and noted that rescue operation was still ongoing. He disclosed that survivors were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebutte Meta and General Hospital Lagos for treatment. He noted that the actual number of the dead might still be difficult to ascertain.
He lamented that they initially faced the challenge of accessing the crash site because the buildings were too compact.
The landlord of the building, who lives in another house close by, is said to be on the run. According to Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu, Managing Director, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, there have been intense and thorough search and rescue operation, adding that occupants of adjoining houses have been asked to vacate. He also added that rescue operation is still ongoing and that the agency would be on ground.
Culled from The Sun newspaper
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