Connect with us

Headlines News

UPDATE: 100 children, others feared trapped in collapsed Lagos Island building

As many as 100 children and many others were feared trapped on Wednesday after a building containing a primary school collapsed in Ita Faaji, Lagos Island.

Published

on

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of a collapsed building in Lagos
An aerial view of the collapsed building in Ita Faji, Lagos Island

As many as 100 children and many others were feared trapped on Wednesday after a building containing a primary school collapsed in Ita Faaji, Lagos Island.

At the scene a boy of 10 was being pulled from the rubble covered in dust but with no visible injuries, a Reuters reporter said.

The crowd erupted into cheers as another child was pulled from the wreckage. The two were among eight children residents said had been rescued so far.

Advertisement

Workers on top of the rubble shovelled debris away as thousands of people swarmed around the rescue site — dozens watching from rooftops and hundreds more packed into the surrounding streets.

“It is believed that many people including children are currently trapped in the building,” said Ibrahmi Farinloye, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency’s southwest region, adding that casualty figures were not yet available.

Residents of the area said around 100 children attended the school, which was on the third floor of the building.

READ: Seven children rescued from Lagos Island building crash

Advertisement

At the site, many people were shouting and screaming. A fight almost broke out as anger at the collapse boiled over.

In the crowd’s midst stood ambulances, fire trucks and a fork lift. Workers from the Red Cross and police were on hand.

The building was in the Ita-faji area of Lagos island, the original heart of the lagoon city before it expanded onto the mainland.

Nigeria is frequently hit by building collapses, with weak enforcement of regulations and poor construction materials often used. In 2016, more than 100 people were killed when a church came down in southeastern Nigeria.

Advertisement

In Lagos that same year, a five-storey building still under construction collapsed, killing at least 30 people.

A floating school built to withstand storms and floods was also brought down in Lagos in 2016, though nobody was reported injured.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 ChronicleNG

Discover more from Chronicle.ng

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading