Following Wednesday’s collapse of a three-storey residential building housing Baden Private Primary School at no 14 Massey Street, Itafaji area of Lagos Island, it was gathered that the structure had previously been marked for demolition three times.
The three-storey residential building with the primary school on its pent house, caved in at about 10a.m. when some of the pupils were observing their Physical Exercises (PE) in batches, while others were in the class waiting for their turn.
When the building collapsed, the first responders at the scene had initially rescued some of the pupils and rushed them to the Marina General Hospital.
As at press time, six persons have been confirmed dead, while 60 were rescued, with scores still trapped underneath the rubble.
However, whilst operatives of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were carrying out rescue operations, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had arrived at the scene and was taken round for an on-the-spot assessment by the general manager, Adesina Tiamiyu.
After he was briefed, Ambode had decried the fact that most of the buildings in the area had previously been marked for demolition but was not carried because of stiff resistance from the residents, adding that the school was operating illegally.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, he said although the government will foot the hospital bill of the victims, a full scale investigation would still be carried out.
He said: “Most of the buildings in the area had been marked for demolition, but some property owners in the area defy such notices. Going forward, structural defective buildings would be demolished.
“The first observation is that this is an old building and it is only the Pent House and the other floors that we have been able to use to rescue people. The building is not technically a school, it is a residential building that was actually accommodating an illegal school so to speak on the second floor.
“Like we have said, we have been carrying out a lot of integrity tests on the buildings in this neighborhood and as you can see, some of them have been marked for demolition but we get resistance from landlords.
“But we must continue to save lives and we would intensify our efforts to see that those have failed our integrity test, we would ensure that they are quickly evacuated and we bring the structures down.”
Governor Ambode also said that a full scale investigation would be carried out immediately rescue operations are concluded, vowing that those found culpable would be severely dealt with in accordance with the relevant laws.
“This is unfortunate but we will investigate what has happened and also see the punishment for whoever are the culprits. That is the secondary level but the most important thing right now is to save lives and I just appeal to people that they should give us the chance to save more lives,” he said.
While assuring residents that that rescue operations would continue until all victims are rescued, he said all illegal schools in the area would be closed down.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, had also visited the hospitals where some of the victims rescued had been taken to assure them that the state government would immediately take over their treatment and foot their entire bill.
THISDAY also gathered that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) led by ACP Tunji Disu are on ground to maintain law and order.
Although rescue operations are ongoing, among those rescued alive were a teacher, the landlord of the building and eight tenants of the three-story building.
Checks revealed that the school occupied the third floor while tenants occupied the second floor and block of shops made sales on the ground floor.
The casualty rate was on the high side because the building has over 20 rooms and had about eight persons living in a room.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the cause of the collapse could be traced to the ongoing construction of a drainage around the old building, which they had just recently dug round the building few days ago and might have likely weakened the foundation.
At at press time, it was confirmed that the proprietress, who was simply identified as Aunty Esther, has given up at the general hospital from the serious head injury she sustained.
In an interview with journalists, LASEMA boss said: “We are still very busy with the rescue work. It’s been a tough one but we are gradually getting towards reaching the bed of the building.
“ The environment here does not allow for much space to bring in bigger equipment. We have been able to manage in a crane to help us lift the wrecks so to be able to access the underneath of this building.
“But so far, over 40 people have been rescued out of this building. We want to put on records the efforts of these community. Majority of what we have done here today has been through their help. They were here before us, and have rescued people before we came in here.
“ Yes we have lost some of this children; the account of which we will not be able to give properly now. But I am sure that there are still more of them that would be rescued alive.
“We have provided oxygen for those who are weak. We have also been able to drill a hole so we can be able to reach them. Our escalator has created a safe place from the side to be able to enter.
“If we start from the front, it is going to be very difficult because that will be putting weight on the already weak structure. This is definitely an unfortunate situation. But LASEMA and other responsible agencies, we will do our best to solve the situation.”
On when the rescue operation will end Tiamiyu said: “Ordinarily, in situations like this, until we get to what we call 'ground zero'. We must get to the bottom of this building and we must account for everybody that are in this building as claimed.
“The school must have record of pupils who have been here, and we also expect parents to come around to identify those of them that have been rescued. Some of them have been taken to Lagos Island hospital, and majority of them survived.
“So many of them are alive. 40 of them are alive. We have rescued close to 50. I can't give a certain figure because we keep taking them in and out and it is not the counting that is important now though someone is taking note of that. But after the close of this exercise we will be able to put our figures together and then we will talk to the press.”
On recommendation to the government about the marked buildings he said: “The law would have to take it's full course. If you have done something that is wrong; especially anybody operating a school within this kind of building will definitely not have government approval and that means it is an illegal school. So the owners of the school would have to answer to some query.”
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