Many workers are feared trapped in a 21-storey building under construction which collapsed on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday.
A witness disclosed that the building collapsed around 2.30 p.m.
The witness, who is also a worker on-site, said that five dead bodies were seen at the top of the rubble of the collapsed building.
Earlier, emergency responders had rescued two persons from the rubble.
Newsmen at the site also saw two bodies being removed away from the rubble shortly before emergency responders, comprising Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, and Lagos Building Control Agency arrived at the building site.
As of 4.50 p.m., no ‘official’ rescue operation had begun.
Angry youths and some of the workers were seen doing the little they could.
Excavators from the relevant agencies were still being awaited as of 5.45 p.m. while crowd control remained a challenge at the scene.
Subsequently, however, men of the federal and state fire services and rescue teams and men of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency arrived at the scene of the incident to salvage the situation
According to Director General, LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency had activated its emergency response plan to handle the situation.
“All first responders are en route to secure the scene while the heavy-duty equipment and life detection equipment have been dispatched,” he said
It was also gathered many construction workers and developers of the building, identified as Mr Wale Bobb were among the victims trapped under the rubbles.
Two people were rescued from the rubbles at the scene. Both, males, were rescued at about 4.15 pm.
The Acting Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Lagos State, Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed it said the rescue operation was ongoing.
According to an eyewitness, a few minutes before the collapse, one side of the building’s pillars broke and made a loud noise as the whole building came down.
Mr Thompson David, an eyewitness, said, “I saw the building going down, it was so pathetic that I can not help but watch how the building went down from one side of the pillar that probably breaks or something happens to the pillar”.
Also, the entire area has been cordoned off to allow for seamless rescue operation and prevent possible damages, while rescue teams were battling to rescue other trapped victims from the rubble.
However, a downpour between Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday reportedly hampered rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, has said the owner of the collapsed 21-storey building, was actually given approval to construct only 15 floors.
Oki said in a telephone chat that the owner of the property had been arrested and would face the law because people died in the disaster.
“He got an approval for a 15-storey building and he exceeded his limit. I am on ground here and the materials he used are so inferior and terrible.
“The materials he used, the reinforcement, are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21.
“I think he has been locked down. He has been arrested before now,” he said.
The GM said four people were rescued and three people died, adding that rescue efforts were still ongoing.
“We are still here and have four machines working as at this moment,” he told NAN.
At least 50 people are reportedly trapped under the rubble after the 21-storey building collapsed.