As rescue efforts continue at the site of a collapsed three-storey building in Lagos on Friday, the state government has ordered that owners of distress building must vacate them immediately.
This was after the collapse of the building in Ebute Meta area of the state where no fewer than three people were said to be trapped. his is contained in a statement by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesman of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Sanusi said the Commissioner in the ministry, Dr Oluyinka Olumide gave the advice at the site of a three-floor building that collapsed on Friday on Lagos Street by Herbert Macauley, Ebute-Metta.
Speaking at the site of the unfortunate incidence of the building which had a penthouse, the commissioner said the property had been marked distressed and was published in the dailies.
He said the collapsed building was partially demolished by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) after statutory notices, including evacuation that was served on the property.
He added that he recently supervised the marking and service of notices to a number of distressed buildings in the Ebute-metta area.
Olumide said that it was appalling that people would refuse to evacuate distressed buildings after being officially asked to do so.
“I deeply sympathise with the casualties but remain puzzled at why people will choose to stay in a distressed building, in spite of the serious danger to lives and property,” he said.
He urged all occupants of distressed buildings to vacate immediately as the government would be more stringent in the application of physical planning laws.
He said more information would be made available as rescue operations were ongoing.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser Enterprise Geographical Information System (e-GIS) and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Oluwole Sotire.
Others on the entourage were the General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Mr Kehinde Osinaike and his LASBCA counterpart, Mr Gbolahan Oki. This was just as NPO Reports that death toll had increased to three with the recovery of the body of a 12-year-old boy.
Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the figure to newsmen in Lagos.
Bodies of two adults – a male and a female – from the rubbles of the two-storey building had earlier been recovered.
Farinloye had said that the building collapsed on Friday morning on Herbert Marculley Way, Ebute Meta.
He said that the Lagos Building Control Agency had issued evacuation notice several times on the building and all the original occupants packed out.
“It was alleged that the property had been sold out about four months ago.
“Three of the occupants jumped to safety with the assistance of the residents,” Farinloye said.
He added that search and rescue operations were ongoing.
“According to accounts of residents, prior to the collapse, a dog, which the people in the collapsed building had been taking care of, got to the building and started barking in a sorrowful manner and refused to eat or enter the building.
” No sooner had the dog left, than the building came down,” Farinloye said.