Grandmother And 5 of Her Tenant Trapped in the Lagos Collapsed Building

Two teenage girls wept uncontrollably on Wednesday after their grandmother, believed to be in her 70s, was trapped in a three-storey building that collapsed on Swamp Street, Lagos Island.

The septuagenarian, who was later rescued around 2pm five hours after the tragedy struck placed on oxygen, and rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital. Apart from the woman, it was learnt that five others sustained injuries in the incident which happened around 9am shortly after children living in the building left for their respective schools.

It was learnt that the building, before it collapsed, had been a threat since 2008 with several cracks on its wall.

Four victims were rushed to the Sura Primary Health Centre, while a woman, identified only as Ronke, was admitted at a private hospital in the area.


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A doctor at the health centre, who did not want his name in print, said, “Of the four victims that were rushed here, three persons sustained minor injuries and have been treated and discharged. The fourth person, a man, has been referred to the Lagos Island General Hospital for proper treatment.”

Some residents reportedly escaped unhurt through the back of the house, which was not affected.

However, emergency workers were still clearing the rubble to salvage some property and ascertain if there were more casualties as of 4pm when our correspondent left the scene.

Some residents, who spoke with our correspondent, said they lost cash and other valuables worth millions to the disaster, adding that the estate developer in charge of the building had been advised on the need for a complete renovation of the house on several occasions.

One of them, Alhaji Sharafadeen Agunbiade, recounted the moment that the building came down.

He said, “I came back to pick something that I forgot at home. I was about to enter when the building collapsed. My wife, Ronke, who was on the second floor, was buried in the rubble. But she was rescued and taken to the Ajike Sanda Memorial Medical Centre. She injured her hand and head, but she is stable now.

“Thank God our children have gone to school. All our belongings have been trapped. But I am grateful to God that I did not lose any of my family.

“We have told the developer several times to renovate the building. He said he wanted to renovate the pillar of the house.”

A nurse at the medical centre denied our correspondent access to the woman, saying, “She (Ronke) is resting now.”