Death toll on Friday’s building collapse at Ebute Meta, Lagos State, has 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.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) earlier reported recovery of bodies of two adults – a male and a female – from the rubbles of the two-storey building.
Bodies of victims of collapsed building at the Ebute Metta area of Lagos being recovered by emergency responders on Friday December 22, 2023. pic.twitter.com/1JGAOSpSr2
— The Sun Nigeria (@thesunnigeria) December 22, 2023
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 was 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. (NAN
Editor’s Note: This photo is for illustrative