Two more bodies were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed Lagos high-rise building early Wednesday, increasing the death toll to 22 people, according to emergency services.
The 21-storey building was still under construction when it crumbled on Monday in the upscale Ikoyi neighbourhood of Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Rescuers claimed on Wednesday that they had retrieved 22 bodies so far and freed nine individuals, but construction workers were concerned that scores of their coworkers were trapped inside.
“We recovered two male bodies early this morning, bringing the toll to 22,” Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency told AFP.
He said the number of survivors was still at nine and that search and rescue activities were still underway.
As the rescue attempt reached its third day on Wednesday, the chances of finding more survivors appeared to be dwindling.
“We won’t give up until we reach ground zero,” Farinloye said, adding that bigger equipment was brought in Tuesday evening for the operation.