How two children were killed in another building collapse in Lagos
Residents and bystanders on Gafari Balogun Street, Ogudu Lagos could not help their dismay as bodies of two dead children were recovered from the rubbles of a collapsed one-storey building in the area.
The Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu disclosed that the building was pulled down by mudslide during heavy rainfall.
According to him, “The LASEMA Response Team received a distress call at 12.40 pm about the collapse of a one – storey building on Gafari Balogun Street, Ogudu.
“On arrival at the scene, the agency’s responders observed that the building collapsed as a result of mudslide at the rear of the building, which was caused by heavy rainfall.
“The agents were informed that two children, a male and a female, were trapped and they immediately commenced a search and rescue operation. Unfortunately, the children were found dead and their remains have been taken to the mortuary.
“Integrity test will be carried out on the remaining portion of the building, which has now been cordoned off.”
The sad incident follows reports of similar events in recent times, especially the collapse of a three-storey building that housed a school on its top floor at Ita Faaji, Lagos. 40 people were trapped and 20 killed in the incident which occurred on March 13, 2019, and received significant coverage from both local and international media throughout the rescue operation as everyone held their breaths while waiting to know the fate of the more than 100 students and other occupants of the building.
Consequently, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had carried out integrity testing on buildings in the area and marked 150 of them in certified structural distress. Days later, 80 of these buildings were demolished.
However, the issue of building collapse still remains unresolved to date.
