The Lagos State Government has begun a probe into the collapse of a three-storey building at 10, Oremeta Street, in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos.

The building, which housed the popular Equal Right Restaurant and Bar, collapsed around 9 a.m. on Saturday, trapping workers, customers, and a family of three.

Two persons were confirmed killed in the incident, while 24 others had been rescued as of the time of filing this report.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said the owner of the building would face the law.

?There is a procedure if there is any building collapse. The state government will find out how it happened. Naturally, the law will take its course ? the owner of the building will face the law,? he said.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said an investigation was ongoing.

?Two dead, 24 rescued. Investigation is ongoing,? Hundeyin said in a message sent to our correspondent.

When our correspondent visited the scene, emergency responders from several agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, Lagos State Ambulance Service, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, were seen carrying out rescue operations.

Rescue workers were clearing the rubble and loading it into trucks while sympathisers gathered at the site, praying for the trapped people to survive.

According to residents, the building had remained uncompleted and abandoned for more than a decade.

A resident, Akin Popoola, told our correspondent that construction recently resumed on the top floor before the collapse occurred.

?The ground floor was being used for a bar, eatery, and parking lot, but the upper floors weren?t occupied,? he said.

One of the restaurant?s disc jockeys, who narrowly escaped being trapped, recounted how he noticed block particles falling and tried to raise an alarm.

?We noticed that one of the pillars had shifted and blocks were falling. I told the bricklayer, but he dismissed our concerns, saying it was nothing serious. I rushed upstairs to warn people, but some didn?t listen. I quickly left with a few others just before the building came down,? he said.

Another resident identified as Wasiu said a family of three?a man, his wife, and their child?had gone to buy food at the restaurant and were about to drive out when the building collapsed on their vehicle.

A 22-year-old restaurant worker, Ayomide Adebola, was said to be one of the trapped persons.

Her sister, who rushed to the scene, was in tears while speaking to our correspondent.

?When I heard about what happened, I came immediately. They told me she is still inside,? she said.

Another eyewitness, Waheed Opeloyeru, narrated how a customer had stepped out to withdraw money when the building collapsed, leaving his brother trapped inside.

Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said eight people had been rescued while efforts were ongoing to bring out others under the rubble.

Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement, said, ?Our teams arrived at the scene by 9:52 a.m. and discovered that several people were trapped. So far, eight victims have been rescued. One of them has been taken to the hospital for further treatment. Thankfully, no fatalities have been recorded yet.?

He also noted that more victims might still be under the rubble and that rescue efforts were being carried out cautiously.

?We?re going layer by layer to avoid causing further harm. We are using heavy- and light-duty equipment to reach ground zero,? he said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Mr. Shakiru Amodu, stated that nine people had been rescued with various degrees of injuries.

He warned about the dangers of leaving buildings unoccupied or abandoned for long periods.

?The upper floors looked abandoned. Leaving buildings unoccupied is risky because they can deteriorate over time and suddenly collapse,? he warned. (Sunday PUNCH)

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