The Nigerian Government has directed the mobilisation of emergency response for rescue operations at the site of the 21-storey building which collapsed in Lagos State.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, directed the National Emergency Management Agency Team from the Lagos Territorial Office to assist with the rescue operations at the site.
She sympathised with the people and government of Lagos State over the tragic incident.
The Minister said, “This is tragic. I sympathise with the Lagos State Government and families of people still trapped inside the rubble.
“We have mobilised immediate rescue operations through the NEMA Team from the Lagos Territorial Office to team up with the state SEMA.
“NEMA has also facilitated mobilisation of response involving heavy duty equipment for rescue operations and security for crowd control...We pray that through the rescue operatives still on ground at the site, many of those trapped will be rescued.”
Many trapped
Many are still feared trapped in the rubble of the collapsed 21 storey building that has left at least three people dead.
Five survivors have been found so far while dozens are feared to be trapped in the ruins of the building under construction which collapsed in the Ikoyi area of Lagos on Monday.
The cause of the collapse and exactly how many people are trapped under the rubble remains unclear.
The building, located on Gerald Road in Ikoyi, is a construction site for luxury apartments.
Eyewitnesses said construction workers were waiting for an excavator to arrive at the site when the building came down.
VON