Again Building Collapsed in Lagos

A three storey-building under construction on Sunday collapsed at the Apapa area of Lagos State.

The building located at 45, Ladipo Oluwo Street, GRA Apapa, was said to have partially caved in as a result of thunderstorm.

There was heavy rainfall with storms across Lagos State Sunday afternoon which also led to flash floods.

This incident occurred barely a week after a seven storey-building under construction collapsed at Banana Island, killing one person with several others injured.

Although no casualty was recorded as a result of the incident, the state government has sealed the property over alleged non compliance to the provisional approval granted it.

Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, Mukaila Sanusi, in a statement Sunday evening said the developers broke government’s seal that mandated a stop work on the property.

Sanusi said the property was sealed because the provisional approval was given for two floors but the developer constructed three floors.

He said preliminary inquiries indicated that LABSCA officials issued a number of contravention notices, stop work and seal up  orders which the developer ignored and carried on construction without any recourse, whatsoever, to the authorities.

“There has been no report of any casualty, while the site has been cordoned off and taken over by LASBCA

“This particular incident, like similar others, reinforces governments repeated calls for responsible behaviour on the part of all stakeholders in the built environment.

“Lagos State Government has immediately activated inquires into the collapse to unravel the minute details and guide appropriate actions.

A preliminary report signed by an architect, Adeniyi Adebiyi, of the state’s Physical Planning Ministry, also showed that the frontal part of the second floor of the building collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.

“The property has been served the CN, STW & Seal Up Notices accordingly and they observed that the ongoing construction had a Provisional Development Permit of a two floor structure.

“No authorisation and building was not staged by LASBCA. Construction is at third floor roof level with block work completed.”

A volunteer with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Ajeromi Ifelodun LCDA, Asimiyu Tiamiyu, said he was among earlt callers at the scene and that there was no casualty.

He said work on the site was put on hold as a result of the Sallah holiday and that made all the artisans to be away at the time of collapse.

Tiamiyu said, “the state government must beam a search light on the recurring incident of collpase building which had claimed many lives and property worth billions of naira destroyed.”