LAGOS, June 29 (Reuters) - The death toll from a collapsed three-storey building in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos has risen to eight from five, the Red Cross said on Monday.

The building, inside a railway compound near the densely populated Ebute Metta neighbourhood, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.

"At the time our team left the place late last night, they had recovered eight bodies from the rubble," a senior Red Cross official told Reuters, asking not to be named.

More than 40 people with serious injuries were taken to hospital for treatment, while 40 others with minor injuries were treated at the scene and discharged, the official said.

Rescue work was still going on, with many still believed to be trapped in the rubble, he added.

Substandard materials and disregard for building regulations mean such collapses are not uncommon in Africa's most populous nation, where infrastructure is old and poorly maintained. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/ ) (Reporting by Tume Ahemba; Editing by Randy Fabi)

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