A five-storey building under construction collapsed early yesterday in Lekki, Lagos, killing 18 people, including a woman and her child.
Thirteen people were rescued from the rubble by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
NEMA SouthWest media coordinator Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the death toll and the number of those rescued.
The incident occurred at Horizon 1, Lekki Gardens in Ikate, at about 3am when it was raining heavily. Many workers believed to have been trapped in the building.
It was learnt that the occupants were workers on the site and squatters who slept in the building after giving a tip to security men.
It was also learnt that the land was reclaimed in 2012 while the construction started in 2014.
Lekki Gardens, the owners of the building, claimed to have ordered stoppage of work in January at the site when it was discovered that substandard materials were being used.
As at 4:30pm, bodies were still being retrieved from the building. Residents of the area were assisting emergency workers.
Some of the victims are Beninoise.
