Death toll in Nigeria high-rise collapse rises to 36

The death toll from the collapse of a high-rise building in an upscale area of Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos has risen to 36, the emergency services said yesterday.

The cause of the incident is unknown but building collapses are tragically common in Africa's most populous country, where millions live in dilapidated properties and construction standards are routinely ignored.

The 21-story building under construction in the Ikoyi district of Lagos crumbled on Monday afternoon, trapping dozens of people working on the site.

"So far, 36 people – 33 males and three female – have been confirmed dead, while there were nine survivors," Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, general manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said.

Distraught families and friends of people trapped in the rubble have been waiting for days outside the scene as rescue operations unfold.

The emergency services said on Wednesday that 22 bodies had been recovered.