The Lagos government says occupants of the three-storey building that collapsed in the Alakija area of the state had been asked to vacate the premises but returned after pretending to comply with the evacuation order.
Nine persons were confirmed dead, while 27 others were
rescued from the rubble after the building collapsed on Thursday in the Oriade
Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Speaking during a visit to the scene on Friday, Gbenga
Omotoso, commissioner for information and strategy in Lagos, said the structure
had earlier been identified as distressed and marked for evacuation.
Omotoso visited the area on behalf of Babajide Sanwo-Olu,
governor of Lagos.
“As you can see, these buildings had been marked as
distressed and people were asked to leave,” the commissioner said.
“Unfortunately, some residents returned after pretending to
have moved out, leading to this tragic outcome.”
He said the state government would demolish other distressed
buildings in the area to prevent similar incidents.
“All the buildings that have been identified as defective
will go down. We cannot wait until another tragedy occurs before taking action.
The protection of lives remains our priority,” he said.
Omotoso sympathised with the families of the victims, noting
that emergency responders rescued 27 people from the rubble.
He commended the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency
(LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, security agencies and other
emergency responders for their efforts during the rescue operation.
The commissioner urged residents to comply with evacuation
notices, saying no economic activity is worth risking lives.
“The most important lesson from this incident is that nobody
should prioritise livelihood over life. Once life is lost, everything is lost.
No business is worth risking human lives for,” he said.
Omotoso also condemned the construction and occupation of
buildings beneath high-tension electricity lines, describing the practice as a
violation of safety regulations.
He added that the owners of the collapsed building are under
investigation and would face prosecution if found culpable.
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