School building collapses in Nigeria’s business hub


LAGOS, March 14, 2019 (Xinhua)

A school building in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, on Wednesday collapsed with many primary school pupils feared dead, an eye witness and a local official said.

Isiaka Monsurat, a trader in Lagos Island, told Xinhua that a three-storey building at Ita Faji area, collapsed around 10 a.m. local time.

The cause of the collapse was yet to be ascertained, but emergency and security officials are already on ground, the trader said.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Kehinde Adebayo, also confirmed the collapse.

Cases of collapsed building often occur in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, as some property owners and developers do not adhere strictly to planning and building laws and regulations.

In most cases, heavy loads are placed on the building and substandard materials are seen to have been used for the construction work.