Witnesses and nearby residents of the collapsed building at 13 Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos, are struggling with severe psychological trauma in the aftermath of the tragic accident.
When our correspondent visited the site on Friday, some of the nearby residents who witnessed the unfortunate incident recounted their ordeals as they are still in shock about the whole episode.
In an exclusive interview with pharmanewsonline, an undisclosed witness explained how the dreadful event unfolded around 1 a.m., as against the official time of 3:49am , given by LASEMA, while they were all asleep.
According to him, this incident marks the first of such catastrophe in over 20 years of his residency, leaving an indelible mark on his mind.
“The building collapsed actually around after 1 a.m. We were all asleep when we heard the ground shake. It is quite unfortunate that it happened around that time because all the workers were asleep.
“There was no way any of them would have escaped. I heard those labourers returned to bed at around 11pm.
“You know it was a 3 storey building, it was the people that were on the last floor that survived and are still unstable. The rest who slept on the ground floor and the first died instantly.
“I have lived in this estate for over 20 years and such has never happened. The worst that has happened is either the house starts sinking or it bends to one side. I’m certain of five people who were confirmed dead, but I’m not sure of how many more people are still trapped in the debris. I suspect that the cause of the accident is from the piling, it wasn’t done properly.
“If I’m feeling this way, I wonder how the woman whose house is just beside the collapsed building would have felt or how she is coping now.
“It was so sad to see dead bodies all over here yesterday when it happened. The sight of lifeless bodies laid about was devastating. That haunting scene replays in my mind even until now,” he shared soberly.
Another eye witness, who preferred anonymity, also expressed his bitterness towards the incident and casualties rate. He claimed to have interacted with a few of the labourers before the incident. He further disclosed that the labourers involved in the accident were conveyed to the site from Ibadan, Oyo State.
He also explained how he sustained an injury on his leg in the course of rescuing victims, as he was physically limping.
“As you can see, I’m limping as result of the accident yesterday. I got injured in the course of helping to rescue the victims. I have personally interacted with a few of the labourers. It was heart breaking to see their dead bodies lying on the floor yesterday,” he stated.
Head, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the development in a statement, on Thursday with five dead, four rescued alive and one trapped.
All the victims were male construction workers.
