A nursing mother and her nine-day-old baby have been confirmed dead, while the grandmother sustained a serious injury when a building collapsed on Wednesday in Akure, Ondo State capital.
The baby, who was christened on Tuesday, died with the mother before any help could reach them, while the grandmother was rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building.
The incident, which happened in the early hours of Wednesday at Ayedun Street around Hospital Road, was said to have happened when an overhead tank fell on the two-story building.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the one-story building collapsed in the middle of the night, killing the woman and her baby instantly.
It took the intervention of the residents of the area who came out to rescue the victims, but the nursing mother and her baby died before help could reach them.
“The woman and baby died instantly, while the grandmother was rescued alive, though injured. It was really a pathetic death. An overhead water tank mounted very close to the building suddenly gave way and fell on it.
“There was no sign that the concrete on which the water tank was mounted was weak. It was too sudden.
“Unfortunately, the baby that was christened yesterday was inside the building with her mother when the tank fell on the building.
“The sound of the collapsed water tank attracted neighbours who rushed to the scene. But they were helpless, as the victims were under the debris of the collapsed building,” the eyewitness said.
He said the husband of the deceased was not at home when the incident happened, but he was called, and when he rushed back home to meet the remains of his wife and the baby under the collapsed building,.
The deceased bodies were later evacuated by security personnel who later visited the scene, while the injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
A top police officer confirmed the casualties, but the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) could not be reached for comment.
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