The collapse of a school in Nigeria leaves 10 dead

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At least 10 people have died and many others fear being trapped after the collapse of a building containing a school in Lagos, Nigeria.

The school, which was on the top floor of the four-story Ita Faji building on the island of Lagos, had more than 100 students, said a BBC relief officer.

About 40 students were removed alive, said the official.

The building was identified as "in distress" and awaiting demolition, construction officials in Lagos told the BBC.

The collapse occurred around 10:00 am local time (09:00 GMT). Frenzied scenes took place on the site as rescuers and local men sought out survivors and family members crowded into the area hoping to find their loved ones alive. .

The building that had collapsed was a residential block containing several apartments as well as the school, told the BBC residents and rescue workers present at the scene.

Emergency teams took several injured students out of the rubble, but many concerned parents were not able to find their children, while others went to the hospital. to look for theirs.

It is unclear how many children remain trapped

Local men were badisting the rescuers, but a large crowd hampered rescue operations.

Mohammed Muftau, a local resident who witnessed the collapse, told the BBC that the building had been cracking for a long time and that complaints had been filed about it.

The state building control agency in Lagos confirmed to the BBC that the building had been marked and had to be demolished. It is not uncommon for buildings to collapse in Nigeria; the materials are often of inferior quality and the application of regulations is lax.

In September 2014, 116 people died when a six-story building collapsed in Lagos during a service rendered by a famous televangelist. And in 2016, more than 100 people died when the roof of a Uyo church, in southern Nigeria, collapsed.

Rescuers worked hard to free those trapped under the wreckage

At the Lagos Island General Hospital, parents and family members found themselves in a chaotic situation after each ambulance arrived to see if it contained a loved one. Many of the victims brought were children in school uniforms.

On a visit to the hospital, Idiat Oluranti Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos State, offered his condolences to the families of the victims and called for calm.

"We plead for their understanding to allow the rescue team to do its work (…) so that the medical team can take immediate and quick action from the arrival of patients" she told the BBC.

President Muhammadu Buhari offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

"It scares us to lose precious lives in all types of accidents, especially those who are young and tender," he said. "May God grant to all the people touched by this sad incident force and help."