Four family members killed in Kwara building collapse

Four members of the same family have died after a three-storey building collapsed at Popo Giwa, Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday morning.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident occurred around 5am at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque, with eight members of the family initially trapped under the rubble.

The Kwara State Fire Service and the State Emergency Management Agency subsequently confirmed that four victims were rescued alive while four others died.

An eyewitness, Abdulganiy Musa, who spoke with our correspondent during the rescue operation, said the father of the family is a serving soldier, while the mother works as a casual staff member at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin.

Musa said rescuers were initially engaged in efforts to locate and evacuate those trapped under the collapsed structure.

A child identified as Firdaus, said to be the second-to-last child of the family, was among those rescued alive as emergency responders intensified the operation.

An excavator was later deployed to the scene to assist the rescuers in removing debris and gaining access to the trapped victims.

Several emergency and security agencies, including the fire service, SEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Red Cross and health officials, participated in the rescue operation.

Ambulances were also deployed to evacuate the survivors and bodies of the deceased.

Representing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the scene, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbebe, described the incident as unfortunate and commiserated with the victims’ families.

“The rescue mission began immediately after the collapse and, to the glory of God, some were rescued, but unfortunately, we have to take it as this,” he said.

Olohungbebe said the accessibility of the area contributed to the swift response of emergency workers, stressing the importance of maintaining access routes to residential areas.

“One of the things that made it very easy for us to rescue the few people we were able to rescue is the access route,” he said.

The commissioner urged residents and developers to comply with building and town-planning regulations, particularly provisions requiring adequate access to residential areas.

He commended the Ministries of Health and Environment, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, SEMA, NEMA, the Fire Service, Civil Defence, the Red Cross and other responders for their prompt intervention.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed that four people died while four others were rescued alive.

“We have recovered four people dead and rescued four people alive,” Adekunle told The PUNCH at the scene.

He said the agency received a distress call around 5am that a building had collapsed and people were trapped underneath.

“We immediately mobilised the scene and commenced the rescue operation. This kind of situation is not something the fire service can handle alone,” he said.

Adekunle said officials of the Hospitals Management Board, NSCDC and other emergency agencies joined the operation.

He added that the cause of the collapse would be determined after a proper assessment of the structure.

“We are only here to ascertain the actual cause of this collapse and rescue the trapped victims. As and when due, we will communicate to the media about our findings,” he said.

Adekunle said the relevant authorities would take appropriate action if the assessment warranted demolition, while occupants would be advised accordingly if the remaining structure was found to be safe.

He urged residents to report unusual signs of structural distress and evacuate buildings immediately if they notice anything that could indicate danger.

The SEMA Secretary, Magaji Saadudeen, also confirmed the death of four people and the rescue of four others.

Saadudeen said eight people were trapped in the building, adding that the rescued victims and bodies of the deceased had been taken to hospital.

“The rescued persons are receiving treatment presently,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Ojo Adekimi, said the collapsed portion of the building was the boys’ quarters.

“It was a three-storey building. Our findings showed that the boys’ quarters of the building collapsed. Information gathered revealed that eight people were trapped in the building,” he said.

Adekimi said the rescued victims had been taken to hospital while the bodies of the deceased had also been evacuated.

“For now, the situation is under control. We will examine the remaining building and see how people can be secured. But for now, we have evacuated everybody from the main building,” he said.

The police commissioner urged residents to pay attention to warning signs, including leakages and other structural defects.

The Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area, AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, who monitored the rescue operation, commended the emergency agencies and residents for their prompt response.

Ladan said six to seven ambulances were deployed to the scene to facilitate the evacuation of victims for medical attention.

He urged residents to report structural defects promptly and evacuate buildings whenever they notice signs of possible collapse.

“Whenever you discover something like this, please escalate it. Get to the point of evacuating yourself and your family members from that building. Life is the priority,” he said.

The council chairman also advised prospective developers to use quality materials and engage qualified professionals to supervise construction, stressing that compliance with building standards was essential to preventing structural failures.