Lagos : Thirty people have now died in the collapse of a five-storey building under construction in an upmarket area of Nigeria's biggest city Lagos, a rescue official said on Wednesday.
"We have so far recovered 30 corpses and the number of those rescued alive still stands at 13," Ibrahim Farinloye, from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told AFP.
A total of 12 bodies were recovered since rescuers resumed work Wednesday morning, he added.
The fatal collapse happened after heavy rains in the early hours of Tuesday in the southeastern district of Lekki, which is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the city.
Lekki, made up of sprawling estates of gated communities of US-style suburban homes, has developed rapidly in recent years into a preferred location for wealthier Nigerians and expatriates.
Some detached houses can sell for millions of dollars.
Building collapses happen frequently in densely populated areas of Lagos, which is home to some 20 million people. Poor workmanship and materials, and a lack of official oversight are often blamed.
But collapses are rarer in wealthier districts.
The Lagos State government said in a statement that preliminary reports indicated work on the building was illegal but the order had been flouted.
