Many people were trapped while several others injured when a three-storey building collapsed at Shogoye bus stop, Bode community in Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday evening.
A witness told reporters that the building was under construction when the incident occurred at about 5:45pm when bricklayers and other artisans in the site were rounding off for the day.
As at the time of filing this report, nobody was confirmed dead as efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims from the wreckage.
However, four of those who were trapped in the rubble were rescued an hour after.
As at 8:00pm when reporters visited the scene of the collapsed building, rescue operations were ongoing with men of the state Fire Service leading the exercise.
Witnesses told our correspondent that some of those under the rubble were making calls to attract help.
One of the survivors, Toheeb Gbadamosi, 19, said: “Today is my first time of working at this place. I just came around in order to raise some money for my upkeep because things were difficult. I thank God that I came out of the rubble alive”.
Others who were rescued from the wreckage were 42-year-old Olalekan Dauda; Tunde and Rilwan Oladepo.
Dauda said he was working with other artisans on the third floor when the building collapsed. He said he just heard a sudden blast and later found that he and others in the building were trapped in the rubble.
According to one of the rescuers who gave his name as Alfa Mojeed Agbaje, two of his relatives (Tunde and Oladepo) were involved in the collapse.
Agbaje said: “I am worried because other people that I know are presently in the wreckage. Tunde sustained injuries on his face and limbs. We have taken him to Molete Hospital and he is recuperating”.
Crowd of sympathisers, comprising traders and residents of the area, besieged the scene with the road blocked.
The incident led to traffic gridlock in the area as motorists from Idi Arere and Oja Oba area of the city, as well as those from Molete end of the city could not move freely.
