The governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode has promised to investigate the collapsed three storey building on Mercy Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos while those marked for demolition would also be pulled down to save lives.
He said the collapsed building was a residential house with a school operating illegally.
The governor said the state government would take care of the hospital bills of those injured in the incident.
Ambode, who visited the scene of the collapsed building that happened early Wednesday blamed the Landlord and said that many buildings were marked for demolition, but the landlords resisted the plan.
He expressed sadness over the incident, stressing that the marked building for demolition would be pulled down.
He said integrity test would also be carried out on other buildings in the area.
“As I speak, the deputy governor is now at the General Hospital, Marina, to see all the victims. The state government will take care of the hospital bills. I commiserate with families that lost their dear ones in the building.
“I learnt about 25 persons had been rescued. I appeal to the residents to allow the rescue operators to carry out their work so that more lives can be rescued,” he said.
The General Manager of LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu, said that many had been rescued, while some deaths recorded.
“I can’t say how many persons rescued or dead. We met the local people in operation when we came in. Some had been rescued. The operation is still on,” he said.
A teacher, trapped with about 15 pupils under the rubble, called to seek for help, while Julius Berger and other emergency services were on ground to assist in the rescue operation as at 2.48 p.m yesterday.
