Posted by By TESSY OKOYE on
One of the lucky survivors of the five-storey building, which collapsed last Thursday morning in 45/47 Martins Street, Lagos, has described his survival as a miracle.
One of the lucky survivors of the five-storey building, which collapsed last Thursday morning in 45/47 Martins Street, Lagos, has described his survival as a miracle.
This is coming at a time rescue effort at the site has been stopped, as there was no indication that anybody was still trapped in the rubble.
The corpse recovered at the collapsed building site has been deposited at the morgue, while the 20 people, who were injured when the structure caved in, are still receiving treatment at the Lagos State General Hospita.
The victim, simply identified as Ogechi, was said to have died on the way to the hospital, and has since been buried.
The lucky man, Ignatus Ebo, who was writhing in pain on his hospital bed told Daily Sun in an emotion laden voice that he fainted after he was hit on the head by one of the falling slabs.
The survivor, who said he traded in children clothes in the collapsed building, said: "The whole thing happened around 11.a.m while I was attending to a customer. The only thing I remember before passing out was that a heavy object fell on my head. It was when I woke up in the hospital and was told about the incident that reality dawned on me."
Ebo said he was trying to put the incident behind him and move on with his life, adding however, that his fears were that he might not have anything to fall back on, as his shop was looted after he was rushed to the hospital.
" I don't have anything to fall back on if I leave this place. I was told by one of my friends that immediately the incident happened, there was chaos and my shop was looted as it was open. Now all my goods and money are gone. The Lagos State government should come to my aid, because what happened was not my fault. I paid a huge sum of money for that shop", he lamented.
Osita Udo, another lucky trader who escaped death by the whiskers said he had to rush into his shop for safety when he heard a cracking sound and was immediately covered in dust and debris from the collapsed building.
" I just finished my breakfast and was sitting in front of my shop when I heard a loud sound. I dived into the shop and was buried under dust and concrete. I thank God that the only evidence I have to show for the incident are minor bruises," he added.
Udo, who appeared not to have recovered from the shock of the incident, told Daily Sun that the structure started showing distress sign after two more floors and an extension were added to it.
Mrs. Fola Adeyemi, who said she went to answer the call of nature when the extension gave way, also voiced her fears about the spate buildings collapse in Lagos. She said it was high time government tackled the problem headlong.