Modinat Ekemode, a friend of a victim with two grown children trapped in the collapsed building at Ita-Faaji on Lagos Island, Wednesday, sat at a corner opposite the rubble anxiously praying that her friend would be found alive with her children and brother.
The three-storey building with a pent house, located at No 14 Massey Street, opposite Oja, Ita-Faaji, in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, caved in at about 10am when teaching sessions were ongoing at a nursery and primary school on the third floor, trapping scores of pupils under the rubble. The building also houses a convalescence centre and a provision store on ground floor.
“We were still together around 11pm yesterday. Only for me to hear that Iyabo and her kids are trapped,” Ekemode said in a shaky voice, gloom written all over her face.
“We are expecting the three of them to come out alive,” she said, even as she condemned the owner of the collapsed building and the state government for allowing the building to stand.
Iyabo, who lived on the first floor of the building, and her children were yet to be rescued as at 4:42pm on Wednesday when BusinessDay visited the scene.
“We have been able to rescue over 40 people,” Tiamiyu Savage, chairman, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said.
“Yes, we have lost few but we can’t place the number yet until we are sure from those who made it to the hospital. There are four people who we have identified to be alive. We are trying to ensure we bring them out alive and then push them out alive. Then we will now begin scanning for possible lives under this rubble,” Savage said.
Like Ekemode, parents and relatives of affected pupils and other trapped victims were disconsolate as the rescue mission deployed, including operatives of LASEMA, Federal Fire Service and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), searched through the debris.
Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said full scale investigations would be conducted to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the building collapse.
LASEMA said official report on the number of victims – dead and alive – would be released upon the completion of rescue operation which was still ongoing on Wednesday.
However, unofficial reports put the casualty figure at 12 with several others injured said to be receiving medical treatment.
Ambode said his government would ensure that those found to have compromised their integrity and official duty, leading to the building collapse and concomitant loss of human lives, are punished in accordance with relevant laws of Lagos State.
“This is unfortunate but we will investigate what has happened and also see the punishment for whoever are the culprits. That is the secondary level but the most important thing right now is to save lives and I just appeal to people that they should give us the chance to save more lives,” Ambode said while visiting the scene.
He assured that rescue operations would continue until all victims were rescued.
The state government has also taken over the treatment of all of victims of the incident and would foot their hospital bills.
Sympathising with families of victims on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari described the collapse of the building housing as “extremely saddening”.
In a statement signed by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said he was “extremely saddened by the collapse of a building housing a school in Ita-Faaji area of Lagos, which left fatalities, particularly of small children”.
“It touches one to lose precious lives in any kind of mishap, particularly those so young and tender. May God grant everyone affected by this sad incident fortitude and succour,” the President said.
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 election, said he was saddened by the tragic loss of lives following the collapse of the building.
“As a parent, Atiku Abubakar feels the pains and loss of having to bid your children farewell in the morning and not being able to welcome them into your warm embrace again,” Atiku said in a statement signed by Paul Ibe, his media adviser.
“Atiku Abubakar on behalf of his family expresses his deepest condolences to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy. He prays for comfort and strength for the affected families as they mourn the loss of their priceless jewels,” he said.
As at 5:15pm, 25 victims had been rescued and taken to the General Hospital, Lagos Island, for immediate medical attention. There was no official confirmation of the number of dead but eye witnesses put the figure at 12 at the time of writing this report.
“When we are doing this kind of rescue operation, yes, sympathisers will naturally come but I want to appeal that they should give the rescue workers the chance to save more lives,” Ambode said.
“All we are interested in now is to save more lives and also see to how those that have been rescued are put in proper place and care,” he said.
The collapsed property was a residential building but partly converted to a school, hence serving dual purpose.
“We have been carrying out a lot if integrity tests on the buildings in this neighbourhood and as you can see, some of them have been marked for demolition but we get resistance from landlords, but we must continue to save lives and we would intensify our efforts to see that those who have failed our integrity test, we would ensure that they are quickly evacuated and we bring the structures down,” he said.
Responding to a concern raised by a resident on the increase in illegal schools in the area, Ambode said all schools that fall within that category would be closed down.
JOSHUA BASSEY, TEMITAYO AYETOTO, INIOBONG IWOK, Lagos, & TONY AILEMEN, Abuja
