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Storey building collapses

Posted by By Philip Nwosu, Adesina Aiyekoti, Juliana Francis and Christy Anyanwu on 2005/07/18 | Views: 579 |

Storey building collapses


Ten persons miraculously escaped death Sunday when a building collapsed on them on Lagos Island. But 10-year-old girl, Zainab Adedji, was not so lucky.

Ten persons miraculously escaped death Sunday when a building collapsed on them on Lagos Island. But 10-year-old girl, Zainab Adedji, was not so lucky.

The late Zainab, spent over seven hours under the debris of the building on Princess Street in the Isale Gangan area. The pupil of Qatob Nursery and Primary School, Olushi, in Lagos Island, was brought out of the rubble alive at about 6pm, and rushed to the General Hospital where she died later.

Among the lucky people was a 3-year-old boy, who survived alongside seven others who were rushed to the Lagos State General Hospital on Broad Street by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

Early callers at the scene included the Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ade Ajakaiye and Commissioner for Health, Mr. Leke Pitan.
Before survivors could be pulled out, the police had to call for the equipment and expertise of Julius Berger and Arab Contractors of Nigeria, who arrived quickly with caterpillars that continued to dig for more survivors till nightfall.

Eye-witness told Daily Sun that the building came down by 10am Sunday, when most people were busy preparing for Sunday service.
One of them who was identified as Jide Jinadu said he occupied a room in the collapsed building and had just left his room to have breakfast in his mother's apartment in the next building when the incident occurred. He said that he had barely settled down to take the breakfast when he heard a loud noise which sent everybody out.

'I thought it was the vehicle that brought sand for the construction work going on in the building, but when I got out, we saw that the building had collapsed," he added. 'This building had been under construction for over 25 years and yet they have not completed it. Every year they will find it necessary to add one story or the other. The developer had just started to build the third floor of the building and had not completed it. He just brought sand yesterday (Saturday) and was still bringing sand when the incident occurred.

'I was terrified when I came out and saw that my building had collapsed, because I could have been inside when it occurred."
Another resident of the area, who lamented the disaster, said that the developer had started the construction of another floor on the building and was yet to roof it when the incident occurred.
The resident who was identified as Allan Sasore, told Daily Sun that he had received several threats because of his warning to the developers to stop building on faulty foundation. He said that because the building was not roofed, rain was coming directly on the decking and weakened the blocks.
Members of the Lagos State government, who thronged the place, lamented the disaster.

The governor, who received a thunderous welcome as he arrived the scene, blamed the collapse on inadequate policing of the area by members of the community
He said that the people should have reported the developer, who was identified only as Shina, to the officials in Alausa.

He spoke in Yoruba, insisting that he cannot sit in Alausa and identify the illegal developer.
'It is you people who should report him and assist government in curbing the situation of collapsed building in Lagos," he explained.



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