Heartbreaking Kwara Building Collapse: Rescuer Finds Mother and Child in Tragic Embrace

A tragic incident unfolded in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday morning, as a section of a three-storey building collapsed at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, located beside Gogoro Mosque. The devastating collapse resulted in the deaths of a mother and four of her children, with a total of eight members of the same family initially trapped beneath the debris.

Emergency responders were swiftly alerted to the scene after receiving a distress call around 5 a.m. Hassan Adekunle, the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, confirmed the recovery of four deceased individuals and the successful rescue of four others who were found alive. Among those rescued were the father and a child identified as Firdaus, who is the second to last born of the family. The rescue operation was a concerted effort involving various emergency and security agencies, including SEMA, NEMA, the Fire Service, NSCDC, the police, the Red Cross, and health officials, who deployed an excavator to clear the rubble and gain access to the trapped victims.

An individual involved in the rescue, identified simply as Abdul, recounted that the incident occurred just as the occupants were waking up, around 5 a.m. He detailed the heartbreaking discovery of the mother and her last child, aged approximately five to seven years, found dead with the collapsed building on the bed where they had slept. The father's life was spared as he had gone to perform ablution in the toilet at the time of the collapse; rescuers located him after hearing his voice and had to dig him out. Abdul noted that an old wooden part of the building prevented a large pillar from crushing him. It was also revealed that the father is a serving military officer on medical vacation, and tragically, one of the deceased, the eldest daughter, was a student of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, who was slated to commence her youth service on Thursday.

Magaji Saadudeen, the SEMA Secretary, reiterated that all eight persons trapped were indeed members of the same family. The survivors were promptly transported to a hospital for necessary treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were evacuated. Ojo Adekimi, the Commissioner of Police, stated that preliminary findings indicated the collapsed portion of the three-storey building was specifically the boys’ quarters. As a precautionary measure, occupants of the main building were subsequently evacuated pending a thorough assessment of its structural integrity.

The Kwara State Fire Service has not yet definitively established the cause of the collapse, emphasizing that a comprehensive assessment would be required before any conclusions could be reached. Hassan Adekunle affirmed that appropriate action, which could include demolition if the building is found to be unsafe, would be taken based on the assessment's findings, and occupants would be advised accordingly if it is deemed secure.

Representing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the scene, Lawal Olohungbebe, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, expressed profound condolences to the victims’ families, describing the incident as deeply unfortunate. He highlighted that the accessibility of the road leading to the building significantly facilitated the emergency responders' ability to reach the scene and carry out the rescue operation. Olohungbebe urged residents and developers to strictly comply with all building and town planning regulations, particularly those pertaining to accessible roads to residential areas.

AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, the Ilorin West Local Government Chairman, confirmed the deployment of between six and seven ambulances to assist in evacuating the victims. He strongly advised residents to promptly report any observed structural defects and to evacuate buildings whenever they notice signs that could indicate danger, underscoring that human life should always be the priority.