A five-man panel of enquiry has been set up by the Lagos State Government to investigate the remote cause(s) of the collapsed building in Ikoyi area of the State
Members of the panel are, Mr Toyin Ayinde, a town planner, Dr Akintilo Idris, a Structural Engineer, Yinka Ogundairo, an Architect, Godfrey O. Godfrey, a builder and a lawyer, Bunmi Ibrahim, while another Lawyer, Ekundayo Onajobi, will serve as Secretary.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who announced this during his second visit to the site of the collapsed building at No. 20 Gerrard road Ikoyi, this afternoon said the panel has a thirty day term of reference and he would be signing an executive order to give the panel a legal backing.
In addition to the help desk at the site, the Governor said a web form, Lagosmind.org/help and an email address, help@lagosmind.org had also been created for those with people trapped under the rubbles to get information about them as well as a psychosocial support telephone number,
09090006463
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the State had been finding it difficult to get the complete manifest of workers as the project managers had not come forward and the address of the company is a residential house and nobody was found there.
Urging families with relatives trapped under the collapsed structure to remain hopeful, the Governor said Oxygen and water are being pumped in from 4 quadrants, while rescue workers stop for 30mins to listen for sound from underneath the rubbles.
According to the Governor, autopsies are been carried out on the bodies recovered from the collapsed building and the identities of the corpses would be ascertained later today or tomorrow
As at past one o clock this afternoon, fatalities from the collapsed building stand at 21 while 9 persons have been rescued from the rubbles of the 21 storey building which came down in the afternoon on Monday this week.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who said contrary to rumours, approval for a 21 storey structure was given to the developer who also has two other 15 storey buildings under construction in the same location, cautioned journalists against spreading unsubstantiated reports.
Two people, Mr. Jude Ogochukwu who said his brother is one of those trapped in the building and Mr Abel Gowin who said he came in from Abuja because his 18 year old son is one of those still under the structure requested for early closure.
Rescue operation is still ongoing
Reporting by Omolara Omosanya, editing by Daniel Adejo.