Building collapses in Nigeria: 8 dead, 23 injured

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The emergency services on Monday reported that a 3-story residential building collapsed in Lagos, killing 8 people and injuring 23 people rescued and taken to hospitals.

Millions in Nigeria live in dilapidated structures and low construction standards, which is why the African continent's most populated country is no stranger to building collapses. 

The building collapsed in the Ebute-Metta area of the city that holds over 20 million people, according to Ibrahim Farinloye, who works for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). 

"The incident happened around 9.30 pm. It was a three-story building. The ground and first floors were used as warehouse while the second and third floors were residential," he said.

"We have recovered eight dead bodies while 23 others were rescued with various degrees of injuries. They are receiving treatment in the hospitals," he said, revealing rescue efforts are still ongoing. 

"We have been working since last night to clear the rubble in search of more victims."

Furthermore, Farinloye said an investigation is also underway to discover the cause behind the collapsed building.

In January, a church collapsed in southern Delta state: 3 people, including 2 children, were killed and another 18 were rescued. Last year, a building that was under construction collapsed in Lagos, killing over 45 people. Over 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos alone from 2005 till now, according to a researcher from the South African university. 

Many attribute these disasters to bad workmanship, low-quality building materials, and corruption that enables the bypassing of supervisors.