Death Toll Hits 5 In Yaba Building Collapse

Residents of Akanbi Crescent, in the Yaba area of Lagos, where a three-storey building collapsed on Saturday, have faulted the rescue team for coming five hours after the incident happened.

The three-storey building under construction collapsed on Saturday, trapping a security guard and construction workers.

The incident, which occurred around 3.30pm, was coming barely three months after a 21-storey building in Ikoyi, owned by the late Managing Director, Fourscore Heights Limited, Femi Osibona, collapsed, killing over 40 people.

At the Yaba building collapse, five people died in the rubble following the end of the rescue operation.

Speaking with some reporters on Sunday, some of the residents berated the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency for coming late for the rescue operation, adding that the only survivor was rescued by the residents.

One of the residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, blamed LASEMA for using an excavator for the rescue operation.

She said, “I was at home when I heard a mini rumbling sound like sand was being poured but the intensity was different and when we all came out, we saw that the building caved in and people around started calling the rescue team from 3.30pm but they didn’t come until 7.30pm.

“The only guy that was taken alive from that place was by the efforts of the neighbours. LASEMA ought to bring a forklift rather than the excavator they brought. Excavator should be the last thing they will bring for cleaning; it should not have been for rescue because it will compact people underneath.

“It was a three-storey building with a car park underneath and most of the workers were trapped underground. They were six, one was brought out alive, and five were brought out dead. The last person was brought out about two hours ago.”

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the state government should be held liable for the incident.

“From our experience as residents, we think the government is not doing enough; they have regulatory bodies for all these and once they mark a building, no follow-up, no due diligence and it’s quite unfortunate that we’re paying for it.

“Personally, I feel Lagos State should be sued because those lives that were lost could have been protected and I would like to advise that all these emergency and regulatory bodies, the government should equip them and provide local government offices for them so we don’t keep waiting for them when things happen.”