Family Of Four Dies In Kwara Building Collapse

Four members of the same family have died after a three storey building collapsed at Popo Giwa, Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday morning.

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

Emergency responders mobilised to the scene, where four victims were rescued alive while four others were recovered dead. One of the rescued victims, a child identified as Firdaus, was among those pulled from the debris as the rescue operation continued.

The Kwara State Fire Service, SEMA, Police, NSCDC, NEMA, Red Cross, Fire Service and other emergency agencies participated in the rescue operation, with several ambulances deployed to evacuate survivors and the bodies of the deceased to hospital.

An eyewitness said the father of the family was a serving soldier, while the mother was a casual staff member at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies in Ilorin.

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Ojo Adekimi, said the collapsed portion was the boys’ quarters of the three storey building and that all occupants had been evacuated from the main building pending further assessment.

Authorities said the cause of the collapse had not been established, stressing that a proper structural assessment would be conducted. Residents and developers were urged to comply with building regulations, use quality materials and engage qualified professionals to prevent structural failures.