A two-storey building collapsed yesterday at Sogoye, along Bode area of Ibadan, Oyo State, trapping many of the occupants in the rubble.
This tragedy comes just two days after a three-storey building collapsed at Ita Faji area of Lagos Island, killing 20 pupils and an adult.
At the time of filing this report, no fewer than four victims had been rescued from the wreckage by officials of the state fire service.
Our correspondent learned that a lot of people lived in the house, and as emergency workers intensified efforts to rescue more victims, there was confusion in the area.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the building fell when bricklayers and other artisans at the site were rounding off the day’s job.
A source said those rescued were Olalekan Dauda, Tunde Toheeb, Gbadamosi and Rilwan Oladepo.
According to him, nobody was found dead but rescue efforts were ongoing by men of the fire service and volunteers to pull out the victims from the rubble.
Residents said some of the trapped victims distress calls with their phones.
One of the victims, Dauda, said he was working with others at the third floor when he heard a sudden blast and later found out that he and others were trapped in the rubble.
Gbadamosi said, “Today is my first time of working at this place. I just come around in order to raise money for my upkeep because things are difficult. I thank God that I came out of the rubble alive”.
One of the fire fighters who pleaded anonymity said, “We responded promptly to the emergency call as we got to the scene 35 minutes after alert.
“We are doing our best to rescue the victims but the challenge we are facing is getting the right equipment to uplift the concrete.
“Another challenge is the time of the day. It will soon be dark but that will not deter us from doing our best”, he said.
When contacted, Mr Akin Makinde of the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency blamed the incident on the building’s developer for failing to liaise with approving authorities before embarking on the housing project.
“The building was still under construction, and workers were still on the site when the building collapsed, but no casualty has been recorded.
“Security operatives have arrived the site and rescuers from Oyo State Emergency Management Agency have arrived. Also, men of the state fire service were around to arrest the situation, but we’re handicapped due to lack of required equipment to carry out the rescue operations”.
