Update on Banana Island Building Collapse

The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development says it has commenced an investigation into the cause of the collapse of a seven-storey building in Banana Island, Ikoyi.

Development Diaries reports that the ministry, which made this known in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page, said no approval was given for the construction of the collapsed structure.

The building, which was under construction, came down at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, with construction workers trapped inside.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in its response to the incident, said seven persons have been rescued from the rubble, while one person was rushed to a hospital.

The Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, said, ‘We started moving from one layer to another and during this emergency response, we were able to rescue seven people alive.

‘Those people that were rescued were treated on the spot and discharged. It is the only one that was taken to a private hospital where he is receiving adequate treatment’.

Building collapse in Lagos has led to hundreds of deaths over the years, and this has become a recurring and worrisome nightmare for residents of the state.

In 2019, the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) predicted that Lagos should gear up for more than 36,000 building collapses.

Looking at the trend of incessant building collapse in the state, one might as well say the prediction is becoming a reality.

Statistics from the guild put the number of building collapse in Nigeria from 1974 to July 2022 at 508, with Lagos accounting for 63 percent of the collapses with 320 cases.

LASEMA, in 2022, disclosed that between January and July of that year, Lagos experienced 31 cases of building collapse, accounting for the highest in 21 years.

What is the underlying problem that has remained unsolved and continues to lead to more building collapses?

What then is the responsibility of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA)?

The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development said no approval was given for the construction of the collapsed structure. Why then was the construction allowed to commence if this was the case?

Development Diaries calls on LASBCA to be firm in its job of vetting the quality of buildings in the state and forestalling incidents of building collapse.

We also urge the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to enforce strict compliance with building policies to ensure the structural integrity of buildings in Lagos.

Photo source: Vanguard

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