Death toll in Lagos building collapse reaches three

The death toll in Friday’s building collapse in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State has increased to three with the recovery of the body of a 12-year-old boy from the rubbles.

The South-West Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development to journalists in Lagos.

Emergency responders had earlier recovered the bodies of two victims – a male and a female – from the rubbles of the two-storey building at Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute Meta.

He said the Lagos Building Control Agency (LABSCA) had issued evacuation notice several times on the building and all the original occupants packed out.

READ ALSO: Death toll in Lagos building collapse now 19, nine rescued

Farinloye said: “It was alleged that the property was sold out about four months ago.

“Three of the occupants jumped to safety with the assistance of the residents.

“The search and rescue operations were ongoing.

“According to accounts of residents, before the collapse, a dog, which the people in the collapsed building had been taking care of got to the building and started barking in a sorrowful manner and refused to eat or enter the building.

“No sooner had the dog left, than the building came down.”

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