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Tag: Building collapse

  • Building Collapse: FCTA promise to carry out integrity tests on old buildings in Wuse, Garki, Asokoro

    Building Collapse: FCTA promise to carry out integrity tests on old buildings in Wuse, Garki, Asokoro

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) s on Thursday promised to carry out integrity tests on old buildings in Wuse 1, Garki 1, Garki 2 and Asokoro parts of the city to avert future building collapse in the FCT.

    The tests exercise would be targeted at old houses above 30 years.

    Director, Development Control, FCTA,Mr Mukhtar Galadima disclosed this in Abuja while addressing newsmen on buildings in Jabi that failed integrity tests and may likely collapse.

    Galadima said that the tests would be carried out in partnership with professional bodies and regulatory bodies, and agencies.

    The director state that this step became necessary, after an unfortunate incident of building collapse in Garki village, where a two-storey building collapsed, killed two persons and injured 37 others.

    “We have agreed with our colleagues, the professional and regulatory bodies and agencies to identify some structures within the city and conduct integrity tests on them.”

    “The goal is to avert unforeseen circumstances like building collapse that may occur due to structural defects.”

    “I have discussed with my colleagues and we will soon be going to the field for the exercise, particularly in Garki 1, Garki 2, Wuse 1 and Asokoro.”

    According to the director, the spotlight is on these areas because most of the buildings standing for over 30 years were developed by private individuals.

    Galadima said that most of the officers that supervised buildings in these areas are out of service, stating that their level of supervisor is dicey.

    “We want to be sure that the structures can stand the test of time,” he stressed, explaining that
    not every building that failed the integrity test would be demolished.

    He said that sometimes the consultants would give room for remedial measures for the building to stand.

    Galadima emphasised that structures that failed integrity tests and beyond remedy shall be demolished.

    However, he urged people to comply with building regulations as provided by relevant acts and laws.

    Giving a instance of a building located on Plot 643 Cadastral Zone Bo4, Jabi District, he said that the integrity test revealed that the building may collapse.

    He said that after the failed test, the occupants of the four single-storey buildings on the plot were asked to vacate the buildings for their safety but they have turned deaf ears to our warnings.

    “It is disturbing that in spite professional warnings, the people are still occupying the house, even going further to obtain an order of the Court to stop us from vacating them.”

    “Our concern is the safety of the individual and their properties that is why we are calling on the public to desist from such acts.”

    Once a structure has been tested and confirmed to be deficient, people should comply and vacate the structure because anything can happen, he said.

    On the court order, Galadima said that the department would consult the legal secretariat to decide on the next line of action.

    During a visit to the affected buildings, Mr Abdulrazak Alao, Deputy Director, Building Inspectorate, North, said that the occupants were served a vacation notice on Aug. 21.

    “We also invited them for a stakeholders` meeting to carry them along in the entire process but they refused to cooperate with us.

    “Only for us to get here today (Thursday) and saw a Court Order pasted on the gate of the house, restraining us from carrying further action.

    “We have carried out a scientific investigation called the Smith harmer test that indicated that the building is weak and could collapse.

    “The buildings have decayed, soaked and weak. I want it to be on record that the building is very unfit for human habitation and might collapse any day,” he said.

    Mr Mustapha Suleiman, one of the occupants of the buildings, appealed for the meeting to be rescheduled to Friday.

  • Scores Trapped As Building Collapses In Abuja

    Scores Trapped As Building Collapses In Abuja

    Many persons are currently trapped in a four-storey building that collapsed in the Gwarinmpa area of Abuja on Thursday morning.

    Details of the incident are sketchy at the time of this report but sources said some dead bodies have been recovered.

    Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Acting Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, saying her team had rescued six persons.

    “The six persons we rescued have been taken to Gwarimpa General Hospital. We are working to rescue more victims,” she said.

    Details later…

  • Four Confirmed Dead as Another Building Collapse in Lagos

    Four Confirmed Dead as Another Building Collapse in Lagos

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday confirmed that four persons died while one was rescued in the building collapse at Oye Sonuga Street, Palm Avenue, in Mushin, Lagos.

    The NEMA South West Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview.

    He said two males and two females died, while one person was rescued in the building collapse.

    Earlier, the Lagos State Government also said it would investigate the cause of the building collapse.

    The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, while visiting the site of the three storey building, directed that the building be pulled down immediately for safety reasons and to forestall further collapse.

    He also ordered the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory to unravel the cause of the collapse.

  • Scores Trapped As Building Collapses In Kano

    Scores Trapped As Building Collapses In Kano

    A two-storey building under construction has collapsed in one of the GSM markets in Kano State.

    The building located on Beirut road, a busy area in Kano metropolis collapsed at about 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 30. 

    Many people are feared trapped underneath the rubble at the time of filing this report. 

    A witness said the building collapsed on cars, adding that three people had been rescued alive from the rubble.

    As of the time of this reporting, emergency workers had arrived at the scene on a rescue operation.

    Details Later…

  • JUST IN: Five Rescued, Two Still Trapped as Building Collapse in Abuja

    JUST IN: Five Rescued, Two Still Trapped as Building Collapse in Abuja

    Five victims have been rescued by a joint task force of operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, and some residents.

    The two-storey building in Kubwa, a suburb within Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, collapsed on Thursday night. The building is also housing a shopping mall.

    One of the rescued victims, Hafeez Olayinka, who spoke to The PUNCH, confirmed that the building had collapsed on Thursday night at about 11:30 pm, but they were only rescued in the early hours of today (Friday), and we’re taken to the hospital.

    He noted that he arrived at the collapsed building on Monday to fix up some things in the building.

    Olayinka said, “We’ve been trapped since Thursday night. I have been here since Monday to fix up some things in the building.

    “At about 11:30 pm on Thursday, we noticed that the building was collapsing, and we tried to escape. But five of us we were rescued this morning, and they took us to the hospital.”

  • 2 Dead, As Another Building Collapses in Lagos

    2 Dead, As Another Building Collapses in Lagos

    Two children have reportedly died, while three adults sustained injuries when the building at Adeleye Street, Lady Lark, Bariga, collapsed today, Sunday.

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed the development, adding that rescue is ongoing at the scene of the incident

    LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a situation report made available to journalists, said the agency has activated all its response plans.

    “Situation report: Collapsed building at Adeleye Street Ladylak, Bariga.

    “The Agency activated its response to the above incident and upon arrival at the incident scene, discovered that the tank scaffolding of a two-story building collapsed on a bungalow beside it and affected two rooms.

    “Unfortunately two children died from the impact. Three adult males sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.

    “The Agency’s response team alongside Lagos State Fire and LASBCA are responders at the incident scene. Rescue operation ongoing,” he said.

  • Another Building Collapse in Lagos State

    Another Building Collapse in Lagos State

    A two-storey building has collapsed in the Palm Grove area of Lagos State, authorities said on Wednesday.

    The affected building said to have been abandoned is located at No 15, Oke Arin Street, Ilupeju Palm Grove.

    Confirming the incident in a statement, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the structure collapsed to ground zero in the early hours of the day.

    It explained that no life was lost to the incident, although one man was injured, adding that the building had been cordoned off.

    “Further investigation revealed that the incident occurred at about 12:45 am due to aging of the structure,” LASEMA said in the situation report. “Fortunately, no loss of life.

    “However, one adult male sustained a minor injury and has been taken to the hospital. The affected building has been cordoned off in order to prevent any threat. Operation (has been) concluded and Cobra team heading back to base.”

    Wednesday’s incident is the latest in the chains of building collapses recorded in Lagos as the government works to stop the trend.

    A high-rise block of luxury flats under construction had collapsed in November last year in the Ikoyi area of the state, killing at least 40 people.

    Three months later, in February, another building under construction collapsed in the Yaba area of the state, trapping some workers.

    Also in May, a three-storey building located at 4, Alayaki Lane, Lagos Island, collapsed during heavy rainfall, leaving at least two persons dead.

    While LASEMA said the structure was already in violation of the state’s safety protocols, it stated that the building had been captured by the LASBCA District Office and served with all statutory notices, sealed at the district and central enforcement levels.

    Despite this, it said the developer of the building had continued clandestine operations mostly at night and at the weekends.

  • Updated: Death Toll in Lagos Building Collapse Rises to 10

    Updated: Death Toll in Lagos Building Collapse Rises to 10

    A three-story building has collapsed at Ibadan street in the Ebutte Meta area of Lagos state.

    Many tenants were trapped in the rubble, following the collapse of the building around 10:56 pm on Sunday.

    Operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) were deployed to the scene shortly after the incident.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) subsequently confirmed the recovery of two bodies and the rescue of 23 persons from the building.

    Ibrahim Farinloye, the zonal coordinator of NEMA, south-west, disclosed this to NAN.

    He said the recovered bodies were those of a mother and her child, while the rescued persons included seven children and 16 adults.

    “Nine of those rescued alive have been treated and discharged,” Farinloye said.

    “They returned to the scene, but have been taken away for proper custody while psycho-social and post-trauma counselling are being arranged for them by the Nigerian Red Cross.”

    The building collapse is the second in the Yaba-Ebutte Meta axis in the last two months.

    On February 13, a three-storey building collapsed in the Onike area of Yaba, leading to several casualties.

    The developer of the project was said to have returned to the site despite a stop-work order on the structure.

  • Workers Trapped As Building Collapses In Lagos

    Workers Trapped As Building Collapses In Lagos

    A building under construction collapsed in the Yaba area of Lagos on Saturday with some workers reportedly trapped under the rubble.

    The number of casualties is not yet known but officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency have arrived at the scene.

    At least two workers have been rescued, according to LASEMA Director-General, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

    Rescue equipment have also been mobilised to the scene to aid the recovery of other workers.

    Building collapse is not uncommon in Lagos due to lax regulatory oversight and sharp practices by developers.

    In November a high-rise block of luxury flats under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi area of the state, killing at least 40 people.

  • Three die in Onitsha market building collapse

    Three die in Onitsha market building collapse

    Three persons were feared dead in a building collapse in Ochanja Central Market, Onitsha, Anambra State.

    The structure, a two-storey building, reportedly collapsed around 5:45pm on Saturday.

    Eye witnesses blamed the incident on further development on the already weak structure without necessary reinforcement.

    A group of traders at the market had on Friday, protested plans by leadership of the market to erect additional structures on the existing old and weak buildings in the market.

    The traders, who took their protest to Awka the State capital, appealed to Governor Willie Obiano to prevail on the market leadership to forestall any calamity.

    One of the traders, who preferred anonymity, said the yet to be identified deceased were working at the site when the incident happened.

    Attempts to speak with the market leaders were unfruitful as the traders were seen scampering for safety and trying to salvage their goods so as to escape being trapped.