By John Ikani
The death toll recorded during the building collapse in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State, has increased to eight.
Heritage Times gathered that the lower parts of the building were used as a warehouse while the second and third floors were residential.
On Sunday, six persons were confirmed dead.
According to authorities, the building in Lagos collapsed around 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ebute-Metta area of the sprawling city of more than 20 million people.
Acting Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye said: “Two male additional bodies recovered, making eight deaths.”
Meanwhile, no fewer than 23 persons including children were said to have been rescued alive.
Building collapses are common in Africa’s most populous nation, where millions live in dilapidated structures and construction standards are often flouted.
The standards of buildings have been in the spotlight since a high-rise building under construction collapsed in Lagos in November last year, killing at least 45 people.
In January, three people, including two children, were killed and another 18 rescued when a church collapsed in a southern Delta state.
Bad workmanship, low-quality materials, and corruption to bypass official oversight are often blamed for Nigerian building disasters.
Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos, according to a South African university researcher.
One of those incidents that sparked widespread anger was in 2014 when dozens of people died in a church collapse in Lagos.
