Nigeria building collapse kills at least 16

Rescuers combed through the rubble of a high-rise building in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos in search of survivors on Tuesday, a day after it collapsed while under construction.

Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, visits rescue operations on the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed on Monday, and calls for tighter rules governing building projects.

"I think we need to strengthen regulations that are necessary when constructions of such nature take place. It's not that we don't have it, we just need to strengthen them."

It had been advertised as “Luxury in the Sky,”  but on Monday, it became the scene of tragedy.

Rescue operations continue. Desperate relatives wait for news of missing people, a day after the Lagos high-rise building fell down, killing at least 16 people and leaving many more trapped inside.

On Tuesday morning, voices could be heard calling for help beneath mounds of rubble and twisted metal.

Locals criticized the slow response from emergency services in the aftermath of the collapse on Monday.

"I have the feeling of a human being. How can this kind of thing happen? You have emergency for Lagos state, we had everybody working on the ground trying to rescue lives, but when you call them they say the number is not reachable. When you call them, they were saying that they are coming, three hours, four hours. This my brother and another one got there and rescued three people " said Gift Christopher, construction worker.

The investigation into the cause of the collapse is ongoing, and officials on the ground are evaluating possible damage to the surrounding structures, according to a statement from the Lagos state government.

Building collapses in Nigeria have increased in recent years, often due to lack of adherence to regulatory controls, poor knowledge of construction and sub-standard building materials.