Humanitarian work by youths on the collapsed building on Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos � after the government failed to act � paid off on Saturday evening as a man was rescued alive.
They swung into action earlier in the day after it became clear that rescue operation was not forthcoming from any quarters for the three-storey block that had crumbled since 4.00 p.m. on Friday.
The survivor was dug out more than 26 hours after the collapse.
The man, about 26 years old, was found almost lifeless but residents offered first aid to revive him before he was moved to hospital.
When the building crashed, members of the Red Cross and the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NCDSC) who rushed to the scene were helpless as there was no equipment for excavation.
Disaster Adviser to the Lagos Red Cross Society, Banjo Olubumi, said they were waiting for Julius Berger to provide the tools.
He lamented the delay in commencing the rescue operation and urged Nigerians and corporate bodies to help the Red Cross establish a capable disaster unit so that it could respond swiftly to tragedies.
However, throughout the day and night, no equipment came from anywhere; either from private or government bodies.
State and council officials who visited the scene on Friday did not show up on Saturday, leaving the trapped victims to their fate.
“If there is any survivor there by now, it�s by God�s grace”, an onlooker moaned on Saturday afternoon after the lack of rescue operation more than 20 hours after the incident.
Even on Sunday, there was no excavation about 2.00 p.m., at which time there were conflicting views on whether people were still trapped in the rubble.