Building collapses in Lagos killing eight, 23 rescued

LAGOS, Nigeria

A three-storey mainly residential building has collapsed in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, killing eight people and injuring 23 others who were rescued and taken to hospitals, the emergency services said on Monday.

Building collapses are common in Africa's most populous nation, where millions live in dilapidated structures and construction standards are often flouted.

The three-storey building collapsed late Sunday at Ebute-Metta area of the sprawling city of over 20 million people, Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP.

"The incident happened around 9.30 pm. It was a three-storey building. The ground and first floors were used as warehouse while the second and third floors were residential," he said.

"We have recovered eight dead bodies while 23 others were rescued with various degrees of injuries. They are receiving treatment in the hospitals," he said.

Farinloye said rescue efforts were still ongoing at the scene of the incident.  

"We have been working since last night to clear the rubble in search of more victims."

He said the investigation was underway to determine the cause of the latest collapse in the country.

In January, three people, including two children, were killed and another 18 rescued when a church collapsed in southern Delta state.

Building standards have been in the spotlight since a high-rise building under construction collapsed in Lagos in November last year, killing at least 45 people.

Bad workmanship, low-quality materials and corruption to bypass official oversight are often blamed for Nigerian building disasters. 

Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos, according to a South African university researcher.

One of those incidents that sparked widespread anger was in 2014 when dozens of people died in a church collapse in Lagos.