Four people said to be members of the same family have reportedly died after a two-storey building collapsed in the Popo-Giwa/Abemi area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
According to reports, the building, consisting 26 rooms and located near Masalasi Gogoro, went down on Tuesday morning, trapping eight people.
Rescuers, including firefighters from the Kwara State Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service and other emergency agencies, were said to have immediately commenced search-and-rescue operations to evacuate victims trapped under the rubble.
Four victims were rescued alive, while four others, identified as Muhammed Bolakale, Fasilat, Mistura and Barakat, were recovered and confirmed dead.
Two excavators were deployed to clear the debris and facilitate access to the affected sections of the building.
The rescue operation involved the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force, Emergency Ambulance Services, Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) and the Nigerian Red Cross.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended the responders for their professionalism and urged residents to report cracks and other signs of structural weakness, as the affected building was assessed to be unsafe for habitation.
