At least three persons have been confirmed dead after a two-storey building reportedly sank into the ground on Baale Road in the Ajuwon area of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The South-West Zonal Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Saheed Akiode, who confirmed the development to Channels Television at the scene on Tuesday, said debris evacuation was still ongoing.
According to him, the entire structure would have to be brought down completely to enable rescue workers access everything beneath the collapsed building. He appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring them that emergency responders were doing everything necessary to manage the situation.
“The operation is still ongoing and we need to ensure that the building is brought down to ground level so that we can see what is underneath. The situation is calm, and we urge everyone in the area to remain peaceful. As of yesterday, 12 persons were rescued alive, while three bodies were recovered from the rubble,” Akiode said.
He added that NEMA immediately activated all relevant emergency response agencies upon receiving information about the incident, noting that personnel had been on the ground since Monday carrying out rescue and recovery operations.
The Chairman of Ifo Local Government, Kusimo Idris, also confirmed that 12 occupants were rescued from the building, including two newborn babies who are less than two months old.
Eyewitnesses and emergency responders said the tragic incident occurred at about 2 p.m. on Monday following a heavy downpour and shortly after a thunderstorm.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that about 15 people were inside the building when the incident occurred.
The collapse is said to have brought down two floors of the structure, leaving only the topmost floor partially intact.
While Channels Television was still at the scene, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other rescue agencies arrived to support the ongoing operation.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Building Production Management Authority has designated a building beside the collapsed structure as a “distressed building.”
The property, which houses three shops at the front, has triggered panic among traders, many of whom have begun moving their goods out of the premises as a precautionary measure.