Death toll in Synagogue Church building collapse hits 59

A 45-year-old-woman on Tuesday walked out alive from the rubbles of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun, Lagos, a rescue worker has said.

The building collapsed on Friday.

Ibrahim Farinloye, the Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, South-West Zone, told journalists in Lagos that the woman walked out on her own at 2a.m.

Farinloye did not give the identity of the woman. He said that death toll from the building collapse had increased to 59.

As at Monday, the death toll was 49.

Farinloye said that 131 persons had been rescued alive.

“A woman of about 45 years old walked out of the rubbles on her own around 2a.m today, while 10 more bodies were recovered, leaving 59 dead and 131 rescued alive,“ Farinloye said.

He said that the rescue workers were likely to recover more bodies.

The emergency responders at the scene of the collapsed building on Tuesday deployed three police sniffer dogs to help to locate trapped victims.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, had on Monday approved the use of the sniffer dogs for the rescue operation.

Vehicles conveying the dogs to the scene reportedly broke down on its way.

Farinloye said that the rescue exercise might be concluded on Tuesday.

The police and other security agencies are still on ground to ensure safety of lives and property.

The collapsed six-storey building, said to be a guest house for worshippers at the church collapsed at about 1p.m.

The Pastor of the church,  Temitope Joshua, attributed the collapse to a `mystery’ aircraft, which he said, hovered around the building for about 30 minutes before the collapse.

NAN