LAGOS — Officials and witnesses reported Monday that a 21-story apartment building was under construction in Lagos, Nigeria. It collapsed, leaving at least three dead and dozens more missing.
Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos Police Commissioner, confirmed the deaths but said that three survivors were being pulled from the rubble of Ikoyi by Monday night. The rescue efforts began several hours after the collapse, when officials arrived at the scene to be confronted by angry crowds.
Olayemi bello said that five of his friends were trapped inside the building, and he feared for the worst.
He said, “When they finish working, they will go outside and play with us and discuss the work.” “Now, no one. They are all dead.”
Eric Tetteh, a construction worker, said that he and a brother managed to escape. He estimated that there were more than 100 people inside the building when it collapsed into a heap of debris.
Workers claimed that the high-rise apartment building was under construction for approximately two years. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the collapse.
These incidents are quite common in Lagos, however, because there is little enforcement of building codes regulations. Others blame private developers who are eager to fulfill the demand for housing in the megacity.
