7 people trapped as building collapses inside Lagos secretariat



NO fewer than even people were trapped when a storey building under construction collapsed inside Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the victims, including the site engineer, were busy working when the building caved in at about 2.00p.m, on Thursday.

As at 6:45p.m when the Nigerian Tribune visited the scene, four persons had been rescued with two of them seriously injured while another two were still trapped.

According to an eyewitnesses, the building was supposed to accommodate the Office of Drainage Services, an arm of the Lagos State Ministry for the Environment.

The incident, however, disrupted official activities at the ministry as officers of the state Fire Service and the state Emergency Management Authority besieged the place for secue operation.

Though the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, was around, he refused to make comment but directed the rescue team to ensure that no life is lost in the rubble.

But a member of staff of the ministry, who oleaded anonymity, told the Nigerian Tribune that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had earlier marked the building, saying it lacked approval and that work should be discontinued but the Ministry of Environment insisted on going on with the work.

She said: “One of those trapped called me on my phone severally begging for assistance to rescue him from the rubbles but he has now stopped calling, only God knows if he is still alive.”


http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/32906-7-people-trapped-as-building-collapses-inside-lagos-secretariat

Could this commissioer tunji bello be this incompetent or is just having a string of bad luck? When he took over lasaa a year before his current appointment lassa practically collapsed. .he took over ministry of environment and soon enough lagos witnessed one of the worst floods in its entire history. .ow there are talks of hoodlums regrouping in oshodi something that never occured since the ertswhile commissioner muiz banire cleared the place of illegal traders. . And now this building collapse directly supervised and constrcted by him the same person who is supposed to regulate defective buildings statewide and give us strong drainages?

I think this man should tender his resignation for these string of failures should be unpardonable in a sane society. .or fashola should sack him

Since the Lagos state government has been taking over the properties on which any building collapses!
Who is going to take over this one? 
Federal government?

^^^

Good question!

Where is the GM of LASEMA, who is always quick to speak in the media when similar incidents happen?

I want to hear what he has said about this!

I no talk am? Hear wetin the guy de yan?

If this had been a private building, the guy would have been boasting about how they managed to alert the occupants before the building came down! This is a building right there in Alausa, how come they did not get these people out before the building came down?


Friday, 16 December 2011 00:05
Five trapped as LASG building collapses
Written by  Sesan Olufowobi

A building near the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja collapsed, on Thursday, trapping five persons and throwing the area into confusion.

Eyewitnesses, including civil servants, told our correspondent that the collapsed one storey building belonged to the state Lands Bureau, under the Governor’s Office. They also added that the building, which was under construction, collapsed around 2.30pm while some carpenters were working on its ceiling.

One of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, said the building had been marked for demolition by the Ministry of Physical Planning. He claimed the warning was ignored by the builders. He added that the building went down without giving any sign that it would collapse.


The worker said, “I was eating with one of my colleagues in the office when Engineer Oki arrived. He immediately went into the building to check the carpenters who were working there. My colleague  went to meet him. About two persons were also in the building.

“Suddenly we just heard strange noise and we saw that the building was no longer there. We rushed out because we knew people were in the building. We have been communicating with some of them. They are still alive.”

Our correspondent learnt that apart from the civil servants that were trapped in the building, the carpenter that was working on the ceiling, was also trapped. A man suspected to be his boss was observed running wildly from one section of the building to the other.

Other workers at the Alausa secretariat also stood near the scene waiting for news about their colleagues that were trapped in the collapsed building.

The efforts of the state Emergency Management Agency, which had arrived the scene promptly, later paid off as one of the trapped victims, Oki, was rescued. Our correspodent reports that efforts were on to rescue more victims as at press time, but no success had been recorded.

“At any rate, I am not in a position to tell you what actually went wrong. My job here is to rescue people and I know we are doing that to the best of our abilities.”

But a statement from the state Ministry of Environment, on Thursday, said the collapse occured during a demolition ordered by Governor Babatunde Fashola. The spokesman for the ministry, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, who signed the statement, also claimed that only a section of the building caved in.

Adeyemi said, “In the process of the pulling down, a section of the structure caved in and trapped some of the demolition squad members who were eventually rescued by Lagos State rescue team comprising LASEMA, Fire Service and LASAMBUS.

“The head of the squad, Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, confirmed that the caving in of the structure was a confirmation of the earlier suspected defect.

“It is heartwarming to report that no loss of lives was recorded.”

However, the statement did not explain why the building was pulled down while workers were still preparing it for demolition as Adeyemi claimed.

http://www.punchng.com/index.php/news/item/7902-five-trapped-as-lasg-building-collapses?tmpl=component&print=1

What an embarrassment!
Find out during whose tenure the building contract went out and you will discover a red hot trail of fraud attached to that governor.

In the past it was Bank's or private individuals building.
Now its state govt?
With all the engineers, architects etc in its payroll, yet this nonsense is happening?

johnie:

Where is the GM of LASEMA EKO ILE, , who is always quick to speak in the media when similar incidents happen?

I want to hear what he has said about this!

We still dey wait o!!!

na2day!:

Since the Lagos state government has been taking over the properties on which any building collapses!
Who is going to take over this one?
Federal government?

Hmm, bush meat dey pursue hunter. Should see a bigger hammer simply because tax payers money has gone down with the ship. Another revelation is the fractition going on between departments. If the environment guys cannot obey the planning guys how do they expect the onlooking public to respond. Tough questions ey Fash.

Fashola to launch speedy investigation and compensation for victims!

Eko o ni baje o

Alausa Collapsed Building: Victims Discharged From Hospital print

Two staff of the Lagos State government injured yesterday when a storey building belonging to the Ministry of the Environment, Alausa secretariat, Ikeja, collapsed have been discharged from the hospital.

The injured who were removed from the debris of the building were rushed to the Lagos State Trauma Centre, Tollgate, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for urgent treatment. Three others who sustained minor injuries were treated on the spot and discharged.

The one-storey building collapsed around 2:15 p.m. Five people were rescued from the rubbles by officials of LASEMA immediately after the building collapsed.

A top government functionary, who craved anonymity told P.M.NEWS that the building collapsed due to poor materials used in its construction.

One of the injured, Engr. Oki who was brought out of the rubbles said some people were still trapped under the debris over one hour after it collapsed.

An unidentified staff of the state government was seen kneeling down and thanking God when Oki was brought out of the rubbles alive.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, the Permanent Secretary (Office of Drainage Services), Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya and LASEMA General Manager, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu were present at the scene to monitor the rescue operations.

Osanyintolu confirmed that the building had earlier been earmarked for demolition before its sudden collapse.

— Kazeem Ugbodaga

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/12/16/alausa-collapsed-building-victims-discharged-from-hospital/

[size=13pt]BY GOD'S GRACE THEY SHALL BE RESCUED AMEN[/size]

@na2day!

Best contribution/ Let Federal government take over the property. Since they have been collecting privately owned properties, the Federal Government should take over this particular property.

well for me, i just hope those trapped victims will come out alive sha

andyanders:

@na2day!

Best contribution/ Let Federal government take over the property. Since they have been collecting privately owned properties, the Federal Government should take over this particular property.

the Fed. Govt. CAN'T even if they want to.

When a building near Ministry of physical planning collapsed, i wonder oh

This is a total embarrassment.

wey photos?