Three confirmed dead in Lagos building collapse as survivors recount ordeal

Three persons have been confirmed dead while nine others were rescued alive, underneath the rubbles of two buildings which collapsed Saturday in Freeman Street, at Lagos Island area of Lagos State.

SGTV had earlier reported that the building collapse left one person dead while rescue operation was ongoing.

The two buildings involved are a three-story building and a bungalow next to it, both are situated at 18 and 16 Freeman street respectively.

According to witnesses who spoke to our correspondent, the tragic incident occurred around 2 am Saturday morning when the three-story suddenly caved-in, crumbled, and also crushed a bungalow next to it. Three persons, including a seven-year-old child, have been confirmed dead and dozens of residents have been rendered homeless.

One of the survivors, Mr. Ibrahim Balogun, who is also the bereaved father of the seven-year-old boy that was killed in the incident said that he lived in the bungalow that was crushed by the three-story, and he is in deep trauma at the tragedies that have befallen. “I am still in shock after seeing the body of my son- Abdulsalam, ” he cried. “We were all asleep in our house when I suddenly heard rumblings and shouting at number 18 Freeman street, I was trying to get Abdulsalam and escape when the three-story fell on our house. I fell on top of an electric wire, got electrocuted, and lost consciousness. It was our neighbours that rescued and revived me. But by the time they got to my son-Abdulsalam, he has been crushed to death,” he said.

The Sun reports that Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu in a press statement confirmed the incident. ” LASEMA activated its Emergency Response Team, Shark Squad, to the scene of a collapsed building at Freeman Street, Lagos Island, today, Saturday 11th, July 2020. A total of 9 occupants have been rescued alive and rushed to the hospital by the combined team of responders while 3 fatalities recorded and handed over to State Environmental Health MonitoringUnit, SEHMU, for onward transfer to the morgue. The Agency’s Excavator has been activated to carry out controlled demolition of the building to avert a secondary incident.”