December 27, 2024
Ikoyi building collapse: Death toll rises to 22

Ikoyi building collapse: Death toll rises to 22

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Two more bodies were pulled out early Wednesday from the debris of a collapsed Lagos high-rise building, bringing the death toll to 22 people, the emergency services said.

The 21-storey building was still under construction when it crumbled on Monday in the upscale Ikoyi neighbourhood of Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Rescuers said Wednesday they had recovered 22 dead bodies so far and rescued nine people who survived, but construction workers feared dozens of their colleagues were trapped inside.

“We recovered two male bodies early this morning, bringing the toll to 22,” Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency told AFP.

The number of survivors still stood at nine, he said, adding that search and rescue operations were still on.

Hope of finding more survivors appeared to dim as the rescue operation entered the third day on Wednesday.

“We won’t give up until we reach ground zero,” Farinloye said, adding that bigger equipment was brought in Tuesday evening for the operation.

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