Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode, has said that the owners of the school building that collapsed earlier in Lagos will be made to face the music, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV reports that a three-story school building in Lagos island had collapsed today killing some pupils and trapping many.
The governor, who visited the scene some minutes past 3 p.m. said it was unfortunate that such a school existed in the building.
He said the government would provide maximum support to the victims which includes paying the hospital bills.
“It is evident that Lagos state is not aware of such school, it is illegal and the culprits will face the law,” Ambode said.
Speaking to newsmen, Adesina Tiamiyu, the general manager of LASEMA, who was also present at the scene said that people living in the area had been very helpful as they had begun rescue operations before his team’s arrival.
He said they are still working to ensure that those that are still trapped get rescued.
“Parents will be allowed to identify their children, we’ll not stop until we are sure that there is no one left in the building.”
He added that once the rescue mission has ended, the actual figure will be revealed.
Many parents were seen crying in front of Massey Children Hospital situated on the same street.
A resident told Igbere TV that she never knew there was a school in the collapsed building because the government had marked the building more than three times for demolition.
“Government has marked it several times but they’ll only patch it and put tiles after bribing the officials,” the woman who declined to mention her name said.
Ayinke Busari, a friend to a parent at the school, said that she is there in place of her friend, Taiwo, who had been taken home to take care of her baby.
“She has seven children in the school, two have been found but they are yet to locate the remaining ones. We’ve sent her home because she has a baby, Busari said.
While commiserating with families of those who had lost their loved ones, Governor Ambode described the incident as quite unfortunate.
He said there are “two floors sunked into the ground.”
“The first observation is that the foundation of this building is an old one. Like what you have seen , two floors have gone under the ground. It is only the pent house and the other floor that children have been rescued,” the governor said.
“So far what we have been briefed is that they have rescued about 35 pupils, some already dead. But we were earlier informed it was a school.
“It is not technically a school but a residential building that is actually accommodating an illegal school so to speak.
“All we are trying to do is to continue this operation. Our response team are already here. We have gotten another crane to be able to go deeper down and rescue more children,” Ambode added.
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