2016 Lagos building collapse
| Date | 9 March 2016 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Deaths | 34 |
At least 34 people were killed after a five-story building still under construction collapses in Lekki District, Lagos, Nigeria.[1][2]
Collapse and rescue efforts
The collapse occurred on 9 March 2016, after heavy rain in the area. 13 other people were pulled from the collapsed building alive in a rescue operation that ended late on 10 March.[3]
Investigation
Ibrahim Farinloye, from the National Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement that "Investigation on the cause of the collapse has started by various federal and state agencies". The Lagos state government said in a statement that preliminary reports suggest that the building construction was illegal, having been served a contravention notice for exceeding the number of allowed floors.[2] The owners of the building apparently “criminally unsealed the property and continued building beyond the approved floors.”[3]
Victor Suru, a bricklayer working on the building, stated that "After they (the owners) finished building the house, rain fell and the house shifted a bit. They put iron in front of the house (but) the iron couldn't hold the house, They left it like that and continued building."[4]
References
- ↑ Reuters Editorial. "At least 30 die in building collapse in Nigeria's megacity Lagos | Reuters". reuters.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- 1 2 France-Presse, Agence (2016-03-09). "Construction company blamed after Lagos building collapse kills 34". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- 1 2 Iyengar, Rishi. "34 Dead as Building Collapses in Lagos". TIME.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- ↑ "A building collapsed in Lagos, killing at least 30 people". Newsweek. Retrieved 2016-03-10.