Death toll in crumbled 5-storey house rise to 35; contractor arrested

The death toll in the

The building which was under construction at Kushenla Road, Ikate Elegushi in the Lekki area of the Lagos State, according to reports, had many construction workers and artisans sleeping inside when it came down.

As rescue operations continued, there are fears that many victims may still be recovered in the rubble, with 18 more bodies retrieved on Wednesday, March 9.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Southwest spokesman, Ibrahim Farinloye, said that rescue were concluded at 7.20pm on Wednesday night with 35 dead and 13 rescued after reaching ground zero.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) boss, Michael Akindele said 95 per cent of the victims were foreigners.

“As we speak, search and rescue exercise on the collapsed five-storey building of 12 blocks of flats is hereby concluded and the physical record we have is 13 lives rescued and 35 bodies.

We had full complement of all responders on board to ensure smooth response and recovery. It is a sad story; but notwithstanding, our job as responders is to ensure that we mitigate such that all necessary actions are taken.

The greatest challenge we had was on Tuesday and it was because the families of the deceased and those rescued, 95 per cent of them are non-Nigerians.

We have people from the North and East, but majority of those we saw in this complex were not Nigerians. Some are Togolese and others Beninoise. The state government will address the public on the situation of the foreign victims."

But there are still fears that some people are still trapped under the rubble.

Meanwhile, the State Police command say the contractor handling the project has been arrested and is in detention.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in the state, Superintendent of Police Dolapo Badmos, gave the contractor’s name as Odofin Taiwo, while the State Government has summoned the directors of Lekki Gardens to show up at the State Police Headquarters within 24 hours or be arrested.

The Secretary, Hausa Community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Auwalu Hassan, said 25 northerners, including a mother and her four children.

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