No fewer than three (3) persons have been confirmed dead in the Ikoyi area of Lagos state on Monday, following the collapse of a 21-storey building still under construction, on Gerrard Road.
While some of the victims are still under the rubbles, the State government has called for calm over the collapse with the Lagos Rescue Unit (LRU), Lagos State Fire Services, (LSFS), and the Lagos State Ambulance Services, (LASAMBUS), fully on ground to rescue the lives of individuals still under the rubbles.
According to eyewitness, the identities of the three dead bodies are yet to be ascertained as well as that of some the victims.
Meanwhile, rescue operations to save more lives is still ongoing, as a good number of people, mostly artisans, are still feared trapped in the collapse building.
Again, while the cause of the collapse is yet to be known, Lagosians are crediting it to shoddy implementation of the project by the developers in charge.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has however, ordered a full investigation into the incident as the State’s Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has visited the site to see things by himself.
Hazmat was at the scene of the ugly occurrence in company with other senior officials in Lagos state; among which include: the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako; Commissioner for Special Duties, Bamgbose- Martins; Special Adviser on Urban Development, Ganiyu Adele Ayuba; Special Adviser, GIS and Physical Planning, Dr. Olajide Babatunde; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Abiola Kosegbe and the General Manager, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu; among other senior officials.
The Lagos State government has assured the public of the full report of the incident after a thorough investigation. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, made the promise on Monday, November 1, shortly after the incident.