Sniffer dogs to be deployed in recovery operations at Synagogue Church

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday said that sniffer dogs are to be deployed at the site of the collapsed six-storey building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations.

Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA’s South-West public relations officer (PRO), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

An uncompleted guest house of the church, housing worshippers, collapsed on Friday, leading to the death of some worshippers and leaving many others wounded.

“We are deploying Nigeria police sniffer dogs to assist in locating trapped victims as we are getting close to an area suspected to have more people trapped.

“The state commissioner of police has ordered release of five dogs after a collective decision to use the dogs by responding agencies and NEMA asked the police disaster management unit to facilitate to manage the dogs immediately.

“The dogs will assist in search and rescue and help in early conclusion of the operations,” Farinloye said.

The spokesman said that the death toll at the site increased from 44 to 46 early on Monday.

He said that two more dead bodies were recovered from under the rubbles of the collapsed.

Farinloye said that about 130 injured worshippers were currently receiving treatment.

According to Farinloye, the injured victims are being treated at Isolo General Hospital, while the dead bodies have been deposited at Gbagada General Hospital Mortuary.

Emergency responders are continuing their rescue operations at the site of the collapse.

At the site, policemen, State Security Service officials and firemen were busy alongside NEMA and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) officials.

Members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also on ground.

The media unit of the church distributed clips of the Closed Circuit Television recordings of what transpired before the collapse to journalists at the scene.

A trader in the area, Saheed Taiwo, said that the evacuators used in excavating the rubbles at the site were too slow, noting that there were still people trapped in the rubbles.