国际英语新闻:Nigerian president expresses sadness over Lagos school building collapse

ABUJA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday expressed sadness over the collapse of a three-storey building housing a primary school in Ita-Faji area of Lagos, which caused fatalities, particularly of small children.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Buhari sympathized with the parents and relatives of the deceased and wished the injured speedy and complete recovery.

"It touches one to lose precious lives in any kind of mishap, particularly those so young and tender," the statement said.

The president asked the government of Lagos state, Nigeria's economic hub, "to do all that is needful so that such tragic developments do not recur in future."

A local rescue official said at least nine bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far and many others still trapped after the building, which housed a school, shops, and apartments, collapsed on Wednesday morning in Lagos.

The official told Xinhua that the school had 172 registered pupils, and about 50 people have been rescued so far.

The cause of the collapse was yet to be ascertained. Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor of Lagos state, said a thorough investigation will be launched into the incident.

Building collapses often occur in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, as some property owners and developers do not adhere strictly to planning and building laws and regulations. In most cases, heavy loads are placed on the building and substandard materials are seen to have been used for the construction work.