This archive report was first published on 3 November 2021.
Rescue operations in Nigeria entered their third day on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, as rescuers searched for survivors following the collapse of a 21-storey building in Lagos.
Two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble, bringing the death toll to 22 people, according to emergency officials.
The building was under construction when it crumbled on Monday in the upscale Ikoyi neighbourhood of Nigeria's commercial capital, trapping more than 50 construction workers.
On Tuesday, Lagos State deputy governor, Mr Femi Hamzat, visited the scene and assured that the operation would continue until everyone was accounted for.
‘The operation is going on and we will not leave until we are able to account for everybody. We are responsible for the people of the state; our focus is on saving lives,’’ he said.
It has also emerged that the building had been flagged by authorities over structural issues, with the Lagos State Building Control Agency sealing the site for about four months due to anomalies.
‘This site place was sealed for about four months because our agency came in to do structural tests and saw some anomalies. We shut it down and said those things should be corrected. They were making corrective actions when this happened. At the time of the collapse, they were not really constructing,” said an official.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suspended Mr Gbolahan Oki, the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, for alleged acts of indiscretion.
