At least 6 die, 100 feared missing in Nigeria after collapse of high-rise

At least six people have died in Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos after the collapse of a high-rise building that was under construction, the state emergency services chief said on Tuesday.

The official, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said a search and rescue effort had been launched for survivors of the incident late on Monday.

Witnesses say up to 100 people are missing after the luxury residential structure crumbled, trapping workers under a pile of rubble.

Rescue workers used excavators to dig through rubble using generator-powered flood lights. The retrieved body was put in a waiting van while at least three people who were rescued were taken to nearby ambulances.

There were heaps of rubble and twisted metal where the building once stood, as several workers looked on. One man wailed, saying his relative was among those trapped.

The Lagos state government said the building had 22 floors and authorities were assessing whether there had been any damage to nearby buildings.

The collapsed building was part of three towers being built by private developer Fourscore Homes. In a brochure for potential clients, the company promises to offer "a stress-free lifestyle, complete with hotel flair". The cheapest unit was selling for $1.2 million.

Calls to the numbers listed for Fourscore Homes and the main building contractor did not ring through.

Building collapses are frequent in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where regulations are poorly enforced and construction materials always often substandard.