Nigeria probes Banana Island building collapse

Nigerian authorities say they’re investigating the cause of the collapse of a seven storey building under construction in an upscale neighbourhood of Lagos.

Seven people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital with minor injuries. One is still missing. The victims are all construction workers. There are no fatalities so far.

It’s not clear what led to the collapse, but the head of the Lagos emergency management agency blamed a truck which had driven into the building.

Meanwhile authorities say that the construction didn’t have the right permits.

A social media video of the collapse has gone viral. In the dramatic footage, a small number of people are on the roof as it caves in.

The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon in Banana Island – one of Lagos’ most expensive and exclusive gated communities.

Although building collapses tend to be rarer in affluent neighbourhoods, they are common in Nigeria.

Regulation is poorly enforced and construction materials are often substandard.

In 2021 a luxury high rise under construction collapsed just a few miles down the road from Wednesday’s incident, killing dozens of people.

An inquest blamed negligence by the agencies responsible for the approval and supervision of the construction.