Ikoyi collapsed building death toll reaches 44

The death toll from the collapsed 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area of Lagos has increased to 44 after two additional bodies were recovered under the rubbles by rescue workers on Saturday.

The South-West Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, who disclosed this to journalists on Sunday, said the bodies of the two men were recovered at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

He said: “The bodies were recovered after the state governor had declared 42 persons dead. One body was recovered at about 2200hours (Saturday 11:00 p.m.) and the other before midnight.

READ ALSO: Family of collapsed Ikoyi building owner, Femi Osibona, denies stories of feud over assets

“Further to the deployment of DRU on the first day of the incident, the Federal Government further directed the Army Corp of Engineers to assist in the operation. The Head of Army Corp of Engineers, Brig. Gen. Omali on arrival at the scene was received by the NEMA which introduced the team to Lagos State Commissioners for Special Duties and Physical Planning.

“The Corps Engineers’ team explained that a directive from Abuja directed the Engineers to deploy equipment to assist in carting away the rubbles. But the Commissioner for Special Duties in response informed the team that the work was almost over and that what was on ground was enough to complete the work left.”

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