3 feared dead, 5 rescued as two-storey building collapses in Osun

By Shina Abubakar OSOGBO—THREE persons have been confirmed dead and five rescued alive after a two-storey commercial building under construction collapsed at Owode-Ede, in Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State. The incident occurred at Zone 8, Oke Alaafia Community, at about 11pm on Friday, prompting a rescue operation by the Federal Fire Service and other emergency responders.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Federal Fire Service, Osun State Command, DSF Ojo Omoyemi Olamide, said the command received a distress call through its emergency line at about 11:30pm and immediately mobilised personnel to the scene. She said the five rescued victims were taken to Idera Specialist Hospital, Ede, for urgent medical attention, while the three bodies recovered were handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, A Division, Ede.

“The incident involved a two-storey shopping complex used for commercial purposes. The building consists of six shops on the upper floor, six shops on the middle floor and two stores on the ground floor, covering an area of about 50m by 100m. “Preliminary investigation reveals that structural defects and the use of substandard materials are suspected to be the cause of the collapse,” she stated.

Olamide said the rescue operation was completed and personnel returned to the station at about 9:26am on Saturday. She added that the estimated property loss was N100 million, while property worth approximately N150 million was saved. The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Osun State Fire Service, Ede Station; the Nigeria Police Force, A Division, Ede; and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Owode-Ede Division.