The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that only 19 families have reported that their member was a victim of the 21-storey building that collapsed on Monday at Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.

This was made known on Thursday in a statement by the government titled, ‘Only 19 Families Report Missing Persons; 32 Bodies Recovered So Far’ – Sanwo-Olu’.

According to the statement, the Governor made this claim while visiting the site for the third time on Thursday, as he expressed satisfaction with the rescue operation and commended the first responders for their efforts.

The Governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, stated that though the number of persons affected remained unclear, only 32 victims have been confirmed dead.

He said, “Yesterday (Wednesday), we opened a register for people that have missing persons or loved ones whom they believed must have been at the site before the collapse. As I speak here, it is only 19 names of missing persons that have been registered. Some of them have pictures, others do not. This list would help us to get information on manifest of those at the site.

“As of this afternoon, we have recovered a total of 32 bodies. We are conducting a corona inquest on the bodies and by tomorrow (Friday), we hope the exercise will have been concluded. That is the deadline we gave to the corona, so that the families can come and identify the bodies recovered so far.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Governor visited Lagos Island General Hospital where survivors of the building collapse are being given medical attention.

During the visit, he gave conditions under which the survivors would be released from the hospital.

One of the nine people rescued alive, Sanwo-Olu said, has been moved to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja for advanced medical examination, but he is not in a life-threatening situation, the Governor disclosed.