9 Dead, 27 Rescued After Building Collapse In Nigeria's Lagos

ABUJA, June 26 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- A total of nine bodies were recovered and 27 others rescued from the debris of a three-story shopping complex collapsed in Nigeria's southwestern state of Lagos, local authorities said on Friday after rescue operations concluded, reported Xinhua.

A multi-agency rescue operation was launched after the building collapsed on Thursday morning in Alakija, a growing satellite town along the busy Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, told Xinhua by telephone that rescue teams worked around the clock to locate and evacuate victims trapped beneath the rubble.

The rescued victims, who sustained varying degrees of injuries, have been taken to hospitals for treatment, Oke-Osanyintolu said.

Preliminary reports indicated that most of the victims were shop owners and customers who had begun their daily business activities. Some residents of the surrounding neighbourhood were also trapped.

Oke-Osanyintolu said all trapped victims had been evacuated, and emergency responders concluded the rescue operation early Friday. He added that the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, which is carrying out a railway project in the area, also participated in the rescue efforts.

Local authorities said the cause of the collapse remains unknown, and an investigation has been launched.

Building collapses occur frequently in Nigeria, with experts often attributing such incidents to aging structures, violations of building regulations, and the use of substandard construction materials.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA