In Summary
Building collapses are common across Nigeria, with the latest fall killing at least 10 and leaving dozens of others unaccounted for.At least 10 people have died and dozens of others remain unaccounted for following the collapse of a high-rise building that was under construction in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos, per BBC World News.
In a Facebook statement, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that a search and rescue had began following the collapse of the 22-story building, which is located in the city’s affluent Ikoyi neighborhood.
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Eyewitness Muhammad Tukur reacted to the collapse via Twitter, comparing it to the 9/11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers.
“Literally saw my life before me. A 12-storey building in Ikoyi collapsed before my eyes. A reminiscent of the 9/11,” he recalled. “I don’t think I’d be alive to tweet this if it were the one closer to our window. Our office was vibrating as the building was collapsing. Alhamdulillah!”
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The cause of the partially built block of luxury apartments collapsing is unknown at this time, but Lagos emergency management agency manager Femi Oke-Osanyintolu highlighted construction infractions and said, “We are going to get to the roots of the matter to prevent a recurrence,” per CBS News.
Building collapses are widespread in Nigeria, per BBC, particularly in Lagos and across Africa’s most populous country, with 152 buildings collapsing between 2005 and 2020 in a trend linked to defective materials, incompetence and a lack of enforcement of construction regulations.
This is a developing story and it will be updated as additional information is confirmed.
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