Abuja: The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey building in Nigeria’s Lagos state has risen to nine after rescue workers recovered another body, an emergency management official said.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency in the southwest region, told Xinhua news agency that the building in the Onyigbo area collapsed at about 11 pm Sunday, and rescuers have so far found the bodies of nine victims.
“The body of a four-year-old boy was found in the rubble,” Farinloye said.
He said 24 occupants of the building were rescued alive and are being treated in a hospital.
Rescue operations were ongoing at the site in search of people trapped under the rubble.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the collapse, he said.
In November 2021, at least 45 people were killed after a 21-storey building collapsed in the city of Lagos.
The victims had also included the building’s owner.
Cases of building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria, and local experts blame them on aging structures, non-compliance with building planning and regulations, and the use of substandard materials during construction.