Four Family Members Killed as Three-Storey Building Collapses

Four members of the same family have died after a three-storey building collapsed in the Popo Giwa area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The incident occurred at about 5am on Tuesday at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque, leaving eight members of the family trapped under the rubble.

Emergency responders immediately launched a rescue operation, with several agencies mobilised to the scene to search for survivors.

One of the victims rescued alive was identified as Firdaus, said to be the second-to-last child of the family.

An eyewitness, Abdulganiy Musa, 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 in Ilorin.

An excavator was later deployed to help rescuers clear the debris and reach those still trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

The Kwara State Fire Service confirmed the deaths, adding that some other victims sustained injuries.

The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, said the fire service received a distress call around 5am and immediately mobilised personnel to the location.

Adekunle explained that the rescue operation required the collaboration of several emergency and security agencies, including officials of the Hospitals Management Board and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

He said authorities were also working to establish the actual cause of the collapse.

The Kwara State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said eight people were trapped in the building, while the rescued victims and bodies of those who died were taken to the hospital.

SEMA Secretary, Magaji Saadudeen, said the surviving victims were receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, clarified that it was a specific section of the building that collapsed.

According to him, preliminary findings showed that the boys’ quarters gave way.

He said everyone had been evacuated from the main building while authorities assessed the remaining structure to determine whether it was safe for habitation.

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

Olohungbebe also stressed the importance of accessible roads in residential areas, noting that the access route to the building helped emergency responders reach the scene quickly.

He urged residents and developers to comply with building and town-planning regulations.

The Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area, AbdulRahman Ladan, also commended emergency responders and residents for their prompt intervention.

He disclosed that between six and seven ambulances were deployed to evacuate victims from the scene.

Ladan urged residents to take structural warning signs seriously and immediately report any suspected danger.

He further advised developers to use quality building materials and engage qualified professionals to supervise construction projects.

“Life is the priority,” he stressed, urging residents to evacuate buildings whenever they notice signs of structural failure.

Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations to determine the cause of the collapse and establish whether any building regulations were violated.