Two male adults have been recovered lifeless from the rubble of the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home Plaza, which was gutted by fireplace within the Balogun Market space of Lagos Island, Lagos State.
On Wednesday,.the fireplace began on the fourth ground and unfold to the sixth ground of the 25-storey constructing earlier than engulfing the remaining flooring and adjoining buildings.
A indifferent part of the plaza, nonetheless, collapsed in the course of the inferno, trapping some merchants.
An official of the Lagos State Emergency Administration Company, who spoke with our correspondent on Friday on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not authorised to talk on the matter, mentioned the 2 corpses had been recovered throughout ongoing search operations for the trapped victims.
“We recovered two our bodies as we speak. The primary physique was recovered at about 11:03am, whereas the second was discovered at about 12:03pm,” the official mentioned.
A video obtained by PUNCH On-line confirmed how the corpses had been recovered and later positioned in physique baggage.
Though the identities of the deceased victims had but to be formally confirmed, a dealer, Zacchaeus Afolayan, mentioned considered one of them was a market assistant who was caught up within the incident.
“Certainly one of them was recognized as one of many boys aiding merchants available in the market. He was serving to merchants to maneuver out their items when the constructing collapsed on him,” he mentioned.
Fears, nonetheless, persevered that extra merchants may nonetheless be trapped beneath the collapsed part of the plaza.
Amongst these feared trapped is a China-based clothier, recognized merely as Obum, and another merchants.
Afolayan had earlier advised our correspondent on Thursday that Obum was evacuating his items when the construction collapsed on him.
“Obum’s retailer is behind the plaza. He had already evacuated nearly all his items when the fireplace was spreading and went again to hold the final ones. That was when the indifferent a part of the plaza, which had been weakened by the fireplace, collapsed on his retailer,” he mentioned.
He added that Obum contacted him from beneath the rubble within the early hours of Thursday, confirming that he was nonetheless alive.
“He known as me round 2am from below the rubble, and that was after we knew he was nonetheless alive. He mentioned he was not the one one trapped there. He was begging us to not enable him die, saying nobody would maintain his youngsters. He’s based mostly in China and solely comes dwelling throughout festive durations to do enterprise,” Afolayan mentioned.
Afolayan, who additionally owns a store available in the market, mentioned Obum, an indigene of Umuoji in Anambra State, known as once more on Thursday afternoon, sounding weaker.
One other dealer, who recognized himself merely as Charles, mentioned two different merchants had been believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed construction.
“As I communicate with you, two individuals have known as from below the rubble. The kinfolk of considered one of them simply arrived from Onitsha after he known as to say he was trapped. One other man additionally mentioned his brother known as him, together with one Obum,” he added.
Hearth incidents have turn out to be a recurring decimal in Lagos Island markets, with items value thousands and thousands of naira destroyed yearly in consequence.