Synagogue death toll now 49 as sniffer dogs fail to arrive

Although the Nigeria Police authorities yesterday deployed sniffer dogs to the scene of last Friday’s collapsed building owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN in Ikotun area of Lagos,

with a view to assisting rescue workers locate the exact positions of trapped victims, the handlers came without the special breed canines.

The collapse of a part of a multiple storey building inside the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN

The vehicle said to be conveying the dogs to the scene reportedly broke down midway, thereby depriving rescue operators of their use.

An optimistic South West Spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, however said; ‘’All things being equal, the rescue operation will be concluded by say 2.00pm tomorrow (Today).’’

Death toll now 49

This is as the death toll rose to 49,with the recovery of additional five dead bodies between 5am and 5.35pm yesterday.

However during the course of search and rescue, electrical items under the debris , according to the Lagos State Fire Service, resulted in a fire outbreak.

As at 1.40pm, excavation work was close to the second floor where majority of the victims were believed to have been trapped. But locating their exact positions became a challenge, as some of the rescue workers told Vanguard that there was every likely hood that the excavator might cause more damage if proper care was not taken.

Consequently, a collective decision according to Farinloye, was reached to involve sniffer dogs.

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

‘’The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State ordered the release of five dogs after a collective decision to use dogs by responding agencies.

‘’NEMA has requested the Police Disaster Unit to manage the dogs. The dogs were to assist in search and rescue faster and help early conclusion of the operations”, Farinloye said.

Three more dead bodies, all females recovered

Between 4.40pm and 5.37pm, three dead bodies, all females were said to have been recovered.

On the fire outbreak under the rubble, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, explained that; “During the course of search and rescue operation, items under the rubble generated excessive heat and resulted in a fire outbreak. But we were fully on ground to control it.”

Church yet to produce approval for collapsed building

Meanwhile, 24 hours after the visit of Governor Babatunde Fashola to the scene of the collapsed building, SCOAN as gathered, was yet to produce the approval for the collapsed building.

It would be recalled that during the visit, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical planning, Mr Toyin Ayinde, revealed that the 5-storey building had no government approval for its construction.

Ayinde who said records in his office showed that no permit was handed to the civil engineers for the building to be erected, however added that he was awaiting the church engineers to present the building permit they were given to erect the collapsed building.

As at 7pm, yesterday, Vanguard gathered that SCOAN was yet to make available names of those who lodged in the collapsed building.

Parents of minor victim cannot be located

— Doctor

Meantime, Doctors have said that parents of a minor victim of the Synagogue Church collapsed building on admission at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, could not be located.

Dr Ibrahim Mustapha, a Consultant and Head, Surgical Emergency Department, LASUTH, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos yesterday that the minor was fit to be discharged.

“One of the victims, a child, is due to be discharged today, but we cannot find her parents.

“We intend to take her photograph to make the announcement and hopefully, she will be found by her parents,” Mustapha said.

He said that the other victim, a male, who sustained some bruises on the head and arm, was also fit to be discharged soon.

“The two victims of the collapsed building are responding well to treatment and will be discharged soon.

“Both sustained minor injuries including bruises, but we have been able to treat and dress their wounds,” he said.

When contacted, the middle-aged man, who refused to disclose his identity, told NAN that he was grateful for surviving the collapsed building.

He said: “I was in the building when it suddenly collapsed.

“I am responding fine to treatment and I hope to be discharged soon.”