50 trapped as 21-storey uncompleted building collapses in Ikoyi

About 50 people are feared trapped in an uncompleted building that collapsed around 3 pm on Monday, November 1, 2021, at 20 Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

Ibrahim Farinloye, the acting coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), disclosed to the media that the 21-story building under construction collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State had the owner and 50 other people trapped.

Farinloye said emergency responders are heading to the scene.

On February 20, 2020, the engineering firm- Prowess Engineering working on the building project had withdrawn its structural consultancy service from the proposed Gerrard Terraces for Fourscore Limited.

“We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share the same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed,” Muritala Olawale, managing director, Prowess Engineering Limited said in a letter seen by BusinessDay.

“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also works done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength,” he said.

Read also: Buhari approves new structure for Federal Housing Authority

Also, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the director-general of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident and said the agency has activated its emergency response plan.

According to an eyewitness who lives across the road from the building said that before it collapsed, the building was vibrating.

“We initially thought it was an earthquake. So, I looked down and saw that the building had come down. That is all I know,” she said.

Findings revealed that the Lagos State government is miffed with the property developers and owners of the building for embarking on such a project without subjecting it to procedural approvals from the state government and other authorities vested with the mandate to ensure compliance with standards and quality.

Consequently, the massive project has been sealed for lack of approvals from required quarters as the Lagos State government has risen stoutly and promptly to halt the gargantuan project.

The collapsed building was to have serviced flats in the three towers for residents to experience a stress-free lifestyle complete with a hotel flair with a 360-degree view of Lagos State.

The 20-floor strictly residential facility is the brainwork of Fourcore Homers evolving from a desire to build an ongoing masterpiece.

The building worth more than N6billion ($1.2m) was 80 percent near completion when the structure carved in.