By Akinwale Kasali
Four members of same family have died in the collapsed two-storey building in Popo Giwa area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The four persons who lost their lives were among the eight persons trapped in the rubble.
The tragic incident occurred at about 5.00am on Tuesday at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque.
Emergency responders who rushed to the scene managed to rescue four victims alive, while the bodies of four others were recovered.
One of the survivors was identified as Firdaus, reportedly, the second-to-last child of the family.
Abdulganiy Musa, an eyewitness disclosed that the father of the family is a serving Soldier, while the mother was employed as a casual worker at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies in Ilorin.
An excavator was subsequently brought to the scene to support the rescue operation and remove debris.
The Kwara State Fire Service confirmed the casualty figures, saying its personnel received a distress call around 5.00am and immediately mobilised to the location.
Its Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, said the rescue operation involved several agencies, including the State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, health officials, Fire Service and the Red Cross.
Representing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the scene, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbebe, described the incident as unfortunate and stressed the importance of maintaining accessible roads in residential communities to facilitate emergency response.
He urged property owners and developers to comply with approved building and town-planning regulations, particularly requirements relating to structural safety and access roads.
The Kwara State Emergency Management Agency also confirmed that eight people were trapped in the building, with the four survivors taken to hospital for treatment and the bodies of the deceased evacuated.
The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, said preliminary findings indicated that the collapsed portion was the boys’ quarters attached to the three-storey structure. He said everyone had been evacuated from the remaining part of the building pending a proper assessment.
The Police commissioner advised residents to pay attention to warning signs such as leakages, cracks and other structural defects, urging them to leave buildings immediately whenever they suspect that the structures may be unsafe.
The Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area, AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, who visited the scene, said several ambulances were deployed to assist in evacuating the victims.
He also advised residents to report structural defects promptly and urged developers to use quality materials and engage qualified professionals during construction.
Authorities said the exact cause of the collapse would be established after a detailed assessment of the structure.
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