It was both a heart-rending and hopeful moment minutes ago when a voice cried out from the rubble of the Four Square Gospel Church building that collapsed yesterday afternoon in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos, South-West Nigeria.

The voice is believed to be that of one of the construction workers trapped when the storey building situated on No. 9, Bashiru Street, collapsed around 3:30 p.m. yesterday as it was being converted to a three-story.

Rescue workers are intensifying efforts to bring out the man, who is believed to be getting weak.

They are also making frantic efforts to rescue a woman trapped in the collapsed building with whom they had contact over night, even passing a torch to her.

Perhaps the woman, who is believed to have become weak, would have been rescued by now if the rescue team had worked throughout the night.

News Express learnt that the rescues team the team comprising the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Fire Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS) left the scene around 2am and promised to return by 6 but never did until around 8.

As earlier reported by News Express, a young man was rescued alive from the rubble late this morning. A Pastor and an unknown number of construction workers are still buried under the fallen building.

•Photo: The collapsed church building. Photo by Rukevwe Onoharigho.