LAGOS, NIGERIA — Rescuers are searching for survivors after a building collapsed in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, and its owner has been arrested on undisclosed charges.
The Associated Press reports the building was under construction at the time of the collapse but dozens of people were inside, including construction workers, and as of Tuesday, November 3, 14 had been found killed.
However, officials said the building’s developers had added six floors to plans originally allowed under their building permit and there is speculation the additional weight could have caused the collapse.
One civil servant in a nearby building described looking through the window, only to see the building collapsing “floor after floor,” according to CNN.
One construction worker told the BBC he and 15 others escaped the collapse, but as many people were still trapped on Tuesday the Associated Press reported crowds of angry people accusing authorities of being slow to start rescue efforts.
The general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency told the News Agency of Nigeria that as well as having approval for 15 floors and building 21, the materials used were ‘inferior’ and ‘terrible.’ However, hours after making these comments, The Associated Press reports that the general manager was suspended indefinitely.