By 
Abiodun OBA
There has been another building collapse Saturday afternoon on the Lagos Island area of Lagos State with one person dead.
It was learnt that the building was under construction before its collapse.
According to an eyewitness, the building collapsed after heavy rainfall at Freeman Road, Lagos Island.
Two persons were said to have been rescued alive.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Agency confirmed the collapse in a preliminary report titled, ‘ Situation report on collapsed four-floor building at 4 Alayaki Lane, Lagos Island on Saturday, 21st May, 2022’.
The report read, “The Agency responded to the above incident which was already in violation of building safety protocols.
“It was discovered that the building had been captured by the LASBCA District Office and served with all Statutory Notices, Sealed at District and Central Enforcement Level.
“Further investigation determined that the developer had continued clandestine operations mostly at night and at the weekends.
“An unconfirmed number of people are still trapped inside the building. Two people have been rescued alive while another was recovered dead
“Search and Rescue operations ongoing. Further updates to follow.”
Lagos State has recorded three incidents of building collapse across the Yaba, Ebute-Metta and Okota areas, with 15 lives lost in recent months.
Recall that on November 1, 2021, a 21-storey building on Gerard Road, Ikoyi collapsed where about 50 persons perished.
Also, on May 1, 2022, a three-storey building collapsed in the Ebute Metta area of the state leaving at least 10 persons dead.
After the collapse, the Lagos State Government ordered the immediate stoppage of approval for structures above three floors in Ebute-Metta East and West.
“The soil and topography, the low water level and effects, as well as the inability of structures in this area to bear loads above three floors, were considered in arriving at this decision,” Salako said.
“The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority has been directed to henceforth stop taking applications for approval above three floors in the area.
“To guarantee the safety of lives and property by ensuring that we put a halt to lives being cut short by incidents of building collapse, the government has been compelled to invoke the relevant sections of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019, as amended, to address the crisis,” Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, had said in a statement on Wednesday, May 11.
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