The Lagos State Government has said families of victims of the Ikoyi collapsed building can now go to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba to identify the corpses recovered from the rubble.

An autopsy would, however, be carried out on the corpses before they will be released to the families.

The state said 38 bodies have been recovered so far from the collapsed building as rescue operation entered day four on Friday, stressing that family members had submitted 32 names of those still missing.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, while addressing newsmen on Friday, debunked reports that the rescue operation team at the collapsed building stopped the search and rescue work on Thursday.

He said: “So far now, we have recorded 38 dead bodies. And as you know, we have nine survivors. Some bodies are ready for identification. So, people can go to IDH, Yaba as from 4pm to identify the bodies of their loved ones.

“For bodies that may be very difficult to identify, we are going to be conducting DNA tests for such bodies to be identified. There are rules for giving bodies to people.

“There are some of the bodies that are in a state that it would be unprofessional for the hospitals to allow people to look at them in that present state and for them to be released the way they are. That is why we have the little delay that we are having. But if you go to IDH, Yaba from 4pm, you should be able to see some of the bodies and be able to identify who you want to identify.

“Yesterday, Mr. Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said one of the patients at the General Hospital should be taken to LASUTH for a test. The patient has been brought back to the hospital and he is said to be doing well. And all the patients who were there are doing well.”

The multi-sectoral search and rescue operation was ongoing at press time and the effort is being led by teams of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and National Emergency Management Agency, with the support of construction giants, Julius Berger, Craneburg, HiTech and China Civil Engineering Construction Company.

(The PUNCH)

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