Tragedy struck yesterday, after part of a two-storey building under construction at NICON Town Estate, off Admiralty Way in Lekki area of Lagos, collapsed, killing two persons— Tasiu Tanko and Abdulai Usman—who were construction workers. Another worker, Yakuub, who sustained severe injuries, is still being attended to by doctors at the intensive care unit of an undisclosed hospital.
Vanguard gathered that work was ongoing at the site when part of the building caved in, trapping the workers. The deceased, according to eyewitnesses, were brought out of the debris dead, while others were rescued with varying degrees of injuries.
The building Residents of the area were said to have thronged the scene to help in rescuing those under the debris, until the arrival of rescue workers from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and policemen.
General Manager, LASEMA, Mr. Adeshina Tiamiyu, who confirmed the incident, said: “The agency received a report at about 11.40a.m., regarding partial collapse of a building at NICON Town Estate, Lekki.”
He said investigation conducted by the agency’s Emergency Response Team, ERT, at the scene of the incident, revealed that the structure was at the stage of casting the roofing beam.
He added that the construction workers were mixing concrete with a poker vibrator when part of the building caved in on some of them.
Taimiyu added: “The agency’s ERT immediately cordoned off the building for further investigation to be carried out by the appropriate authorities.” South-West spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the bodies had been evacuated and taken to the morgue. He disclosed that fire also engulfed Bedmate Industry, a furniture company, at Lekki, yesterday.