Safety Standards: How multistory building under-construction collapses in Lagos

*Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu, Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, says the agency has activated its emergency response plan with heavy-duty and life detection equipment at the collapsed building site along Gerrard Road in Ikoyi

*Why we withdrew our services from collapsed building February 2020 ─Structural Engineering Contractors

*Owners of collapsed building got approval for 15-story structure but built 21, says Lagos State Building Control Agency

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

It was apparently a black Monday, November 1, 2021, when a 21-storey structure under construction, located at 20, Gerrard Road, in Ikoyi, Lagos State, suddenly collapsed on construction workers.

ConsumerConnect gathered that the devastating incident happened about a few minutes past 2 p.m., and 10 people have been pronounced dead as of morning Tuesday, November 2, while four persons were rescued alive as dozens of others are still trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.

Rescue workers conveying one of the dead victims from the rubble   Photo: Channels TV

First Responders, LASEMA begin rescue effort at building site

Nosa Okunbo, Spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who confirmed the building collapse, disclosed that “a 25-storey building collapsed by Musikilu Junction, Ikoyi, Lagos. LASEMA is on top of the situation.”

Structural Engineering contractors’ withdrawal letter to the building owners February 2020     Photo: CitizenNews

Similarly, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Director-General of LASEMA, while commenting on the incident, stated that heavy-duty equipment and life-detection equipment have been deployed to the scene.

In his update on the incident, Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu said “Collapsed Building at Gerard Road, Ikoyi: The agency has activated its emergency response plan to the above incident.

“All first responders are en route to secure the scene while the heavy-duty equipment and life detection equipment have been dispatched.”

The first responders have reportedly rescued four persons from the rubble of the collapsed building by volunteers and emergency agencies on the ground, just as rescue effort is still ongoing to ensure more are rescued from the rubble of the collapsed structure.

CP Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, who was at the scene moments after the incident also confirmed to reporters that four have been confirmed dead and their bodies recovered from the collapsed building.

The rescued victims also have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention, report said.

Why we withdrew services from collapsed building in 2020 ─Structural Engineering Contractors

As observers and other officials could not ascertain the immediate cause of the collapsed building Monday, in Ikoyi, Lagos, other people have said this should be left to the technical experts, including those at the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to unravel.

However, some details have emerged on what may have been responsible for the collapse of the 21-storey building under construction in Ikoyi area of Lagos State Monday afternoon.

Investigation has revealed that the primary Structural Engineers contracted for the building construction project February 2020 had withdrawn their company’s services, citing “differences on the vision for the project” with a letter he wrote to communicate this development to Mr. Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, Ikoyi, Lagos, the owners of the building at the time.

In a letter dated February 20, 2020, titled: “Re-Proposed Gerrard Terraces for Fourscore Limited”, and signed by Muritala Olawale, Managing Director of Prowess Engineering Limited, the Structural Engineers handling the project stated clearly decision to discontinue the service being rendered to the building owners.

The letter from Prowess Engineering Limited stated in part: “This letter is to formally inform you of the withdrawal of our structural consultancy service from the above-named project.

Audiovisual material source: The Punch

“We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed.

“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also works done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength.”

The Structural Engineers also wrote: “This we do not have control over as we do not have the concrete cube test results for each stage of the building till date.

“Also, kindly note that we are not taking responsibilities for any other construction errors that may have occurred over time on the project.

“Furthermore, we request that our company’s name and logo be removed from the project board and also kindly notify all necessary approving authorities of our withdrawal from the project.”

It added: “We regret this decision and the lost opportunity to do business together. We look forward to future cooperation in other projects.”

Owners of collapsed building got approval for 15-story structure but built 21, says LASBCA

Meanwhile, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has revealed that the collapsed 21-floor building under construction, actually skipped building standards as the owner was given approval to construct only 15 floors.

Mr Gbolahan Oki, General Manager of LASBCA, disclosed the regulatory authority’s position in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday.

The LASBCA General Manager stated that the owner of the property has been arrested and would face the law.

He said in the interview: “He got an approval for a 15-storey building and he exceeded his limit. I am on (the) ground here and the materials he used are so inferior and terrible.

“The materials he used, the reinforcement, are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21.

“I think he has been locked down. He has been arrested before now.”

Lagos Deputy Governor visits scene of collapsed skyscraper

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, has visited the scene of the multistory building that collapsed in the Ikoyi area of the state Monday, November 1.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor assured assured Lagosians that the government would do what it could to rescue all those stuck in the building.

Also speaking with an unidentified woman, who claimed that her cousin was stuck in the building, the Lagos Deputy Governor noted the Lagos State Government was trying to ensure the swift response of heavy-duty equipment for the rescue operation, according to report.

President Buhari mourns victims of Lagos building collapse

President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised with the families who have lost loved ones in the 21-story building collapse in Lagos, while some are still trapped in the rubble.

Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement issued Monday, November 1, in Abuja, FCT, said President Buhari shared the sad moment with people and Government of Lagos State.

The Spokesman said the President also urged appropriate authorities to redouble efforts at rescue operations.

The statement noted Buhari urged emergency institutions, including hospitals, to provide all the necessary support to safeguard the lives of the rescued.

The President prayed for God’s intervention in the ongoing rescue operations.

Additional reporting by Gbenga Kayode

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