By John Ikani
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed that it has established contacts with a number of victims who are currently trapped under the rubble of the 21-storey building that collapsed in on Gerard Road, Ikoyi.
Disclosing this during a press briefing at the scene of the incident, South West Coordinator of NEMA Ibrahim Farinloye added that some people trapped under the rubble have established communications with their relatives.
Farinloye told reporters gathered at the scene Tuesday that he had also spoken to people trapped inside the building and remains hopeful more will be brought out alive.
Emergency teams are now racing to rescue an unknown number of people still trapped under what was supposed to be a “7-star hotel experience,” according to brochures from the building’s developers Fourscore Homes.
The incident has raised concerns over construction practices and regulatory controls in Nigeria, where a number of buildings have collapsed in recent years.
It has also brought fresh heartache for the dozens of onlookers who gathered at the devastated site Tuesday. Among them, distraught relatives who were anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Heritage Times had reported earlier that a 21-storey building, still under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
The unfortunate incident happened on Monday, November 1, 2021, on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.
Locals criticized the slow response from emergency services in the aftermath of the collapse on Monday, with one witness telling newsmen “we’ve waited four or five hours now!”
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said it activated its emergency response plan, sending excavation equipment to the scene.
The Nigerian Red Cross also on site assisting authorities.
