Death toll from building collapse in Nigeria rises to 38

Up to 38 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a 21-story building which collapsed here Monday afternoon with nine people surviving the disaster, state commissioner for information and strategy told reporters here on Friday.

Gbenga Omotoso said rescue work was still ongoing and would continue until the government could account for everybody inside the building at the time of the collapse and certify that nobody was left behind.

Omotoso said the retrieved bodies were ready for identification and DNA tests will be carried out for bodies that may be very difficult to identify.

Omotoso did not reveal how many people are still trapped under the debris, but said 32 names of those still missing have been submitted to the state government.

The governor of the Lagos state has declared three days of mourning for the victims of the collapsed building beginning on Friday, while the investigation into the cause of the collapse is still ongoing. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )

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