Lagos Building Collapse: Death toll rises as more bodies are recovered

The tragedy caused by the school building collapse in Lagos on Wednesday has continued to be a source of agony to many families and residents of the neighbourhood within the scene of the incident.

Apparently, death toll from the building collapse rose after one more body of a man was recovered from the rubble. Thus, the confirmed figure of deaths in the accident now stands at 14 with over 50 persons receiving medical attention at different hospitals.

Building Collapse: FG sends post-disaster delegation to Lagos

The Federal Government has sent a delegation on post-disaster assessment mission to Lagos to visit the scene on Thursday. After the assessment of the collapsed building, the Federal Government delegation will visit the hospitals where the injured persons are receiving medical attention.

The three storey building located at 36, Massey Street, Ita Faji area of Lagos Island, collapsed at about 10.00am on Wednesday.

The top floor of the building is occupied by a school with about 100 pupils, while the rest are residential and shops.

Rescue operations which began as soon as the incident occurred, stretched through the night till the early hours of Thursday morning.

APC rejects inconclusive governorship election result in Adamawa

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has rejected the declaration of the governorship election in Adamawa State inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC last Sunday said the election was inconclusive because the margin between the two top contestants was less than the number of registered voters in some areas where election results were cancelled.

Before the inconclusive decision, incumbent Governor Jibrilla Bindow, the APC candidate, had a total of 334,995 votes, trailing behind Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was leading with 367,471 votes, indicating a margin of 32,476 votes as against 40,988 cancelled votes.

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The commission cancelled votes in 44 polling units.

APC, however, protested that INEC should do more than mere rerun exercise in the 44 polling units. The party faulted the entire electoral process, describing the negligence of collation officers at the local and state level as inappropriate, and unacceptable.

INEC has fixed the rerun election for March 23, 2019.

Lagos Building Collapse: Residents demand urgent evacuation of families to alternative shelter

Residents within the vicinity of the collapsed three storey building at No 36, Massey Street, Ita Faaji, Lagos Island, Lagos, on Wednesday have demanded urgent evacuation of families resident in the edifice to alternative shelters, appealing for aid from the state and federal governments.

Generally, residents in Lagos have since the incident been apprehensive over the emergency operations on search and rescue of victims trapped in the collapsed building.

It was gathered that Escavator deployed by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has been digging through the rubble to ensure that it gets to ground zero so that nobody will be trapped in the wreckage.

The search and rescue team worked through the night of Wednesday into Thursday and made minimal recovery of more victims trapped in the rubble. Expectations are high on the rescue operations.

Residents suggested the evacuation of the surviving victims to alternative shelter in order to ensure the safety of those living in the surrounding buildings.

Lagos building officials say the shelter had been identified as “distressed” and listed for demolition but that exercise did not happen until the tragic accident.

Lagos Building Collapse: Buhari mourns, sympathizes with families of victims

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock and sadness over the collapse of a building accommodating a primary school and other tenants at Itafaaji Area of Lagos, which led to fatal deaths, particularly, of the primary school pupils.

The President in a condolence message sympathized with the parents and relations of the deceased, wishing them God’s comfort. He also wishes the injured speedy and complete recovery.

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President Buhari also commiserated with the government and people of Lagos State, and pledged assistance of the Federal Government as may be required by the state.

“It touches one to lose precious lives in any kind of mishap, particularly those so young and tender. May God grant everyone affected by this sad incident fortitude and succour,” the President said.

He charged the Lagos State government to do all that is needful, so that such tragic developments do not recur in future.