Death toll from building collapse rises 34 in Nigeria's Lagos

A total of 34 people were killed when a five storey building collapsed in Lagos, Nigeria, in the early hours of Tuesday, local authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Ibrahim Farinloye, a regional spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Xinhua that rescue operations ended at 7:20 p.m. local time with 34 dead and 13 rescued. The dead are suspected to be construction workers.

Investigation on the cause of the collapse has been underway, the official said.

Earlier, Farinloye said 23 people were killed in the collapse, while 13 other people were rescued during the operation.

The building, under construction in Lekki-Phase 1 area of the state, collapsed amid a heavy rainfall.

Local police have arrested the contractor handling the construction project, said spokeswoman of the state police command, Dolapo Badmus.

She said the contractor, identified as Taiwo Odofin, was currently under investigation.

Building collapses are not rare in Nigeria, often because of poor construction practices. More than 100 people were killed in building collapses across Nigeria last year, according to official data. Enditem