Two persons were hospitalized and hundred displaced as a building with over 500 rooms collapsed in Lagos displacing many. The two are battling for life at a private hospital after a school turned resident building in Ketu area of Lagos partially collapsed on Sunday. The Building called Agboye Estate on Oduntan street has over 500 rooms and caved in after several hours of rainfall. The building crumbled again as residents were trying to salvage their belongings destroying another structure inside the compound before collapsing completely. This incident has sent panic across the area forcing hundreds of families and individuals residing in the area to vacate the premises. Dozens of residents moved their belongings out of the area as officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency cordoned the premises and marked several defective buildings in the compound for demolition.

In 2014, the Saturday Punch had investigated and reported on the collapsed building where tenants live as prisoners. The report highlighted the horrible living conditions of tenants who contented with snakes, scorpions and other dangerous animals because of stagnant sewage water at the back of the building.

Most of the buildings are reportedly constructed near each other with 12 rooms sharing a single toilet and bathroom. On the average two persons occupy a room bringing the number of toilet facilities users to at least 24. Following this report by PUNCH at that time, the Lagos State Government partially sealed the building but lifted the sanction few days later. The landlord of the building is reportedly gone into hiding following the incident.

Between 1974 to April 2023, statistics shows that 553 buildings has collapsed according to the latest report by the Building collapse Prevention Guild with Lagos state recording the highest number with over 326 buildings caving in 49 years which represents 59.05%.

Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe and Yobe had their first recorded collapse in 2022 with Zamfara recording only one building collapse in 2018. 1971, 1975 and 1981 were years that did not record any building collapse.

CULLED FROM PUNCH

In 2014, the Saturday Punch had investigated and reported on the collapsed building where tenants live as prisoners. The report highlighted the horrible living conditions of tenants who contented with snakes, scorpions and other dangerous animals because of stagnant sewage water at the back of the building.

Most of the buildings are reportedly constructed near each other with 12 rooms sharing a single toilet and bathroom. On the average two persons occupy a room bringing the number of toilet facilities users to at least 24. Following this report by PUNCH at that time, the Lagos State Government partially sealed the building but lifted the sanction few days later. The landlord of the building is reportedly gone into hiding following the incident.

Between 1974 to April 2023, statistics shows that 553 buildings has collapsed according to the latest report by the Building collapse Prevention Guild with Lagos state recording the highest number with over 326 buildings caving in 49 years which represents 59.05%.

Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe and Yobe had their first recorded collapse in 2022 with Zamfara recording only one building collapse in 2018. 1971, 1975 and 1981 were years that did not record any building collapse.

CULLED FROM PUNCH