UPDATE: Many rescued, several others trapped as building collapses in Ibadan

THERE were alarm, angst and wailing at Shogoye bus stop area of Bode community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday when a three-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed, with several people injured and others trapped in the rubble.

Nobody had been confirmed dead at the time of filing this report as efforts were ongoing to rescue trapped victims from the wreckage.

However, four of those who were trapped in the rubble were rescued an hour after.

When Saturday Tribune visited the scene of the collapsed building, rescue operations were ongoing with men of the Oyo State Fire Service leading the exercise.

It was gathered from eyewitnesses at the scene that some of those under the rubble were calling for help.

However, when calls were made to one of the numbers a few minutes after, there was no response.

The building was said to have collapsed around 5:54pm while bricklayers and other artisans on site were rounding off for the day’s work.

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. I thank God that I came out of the rubble alive.”

Others who were rescued from the wreckage were 42-year-old Olalekan Dauda; Rilwan Oladepo and another worker identified simply as Tunde.

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 its rubble.

According to one of the rescuers, who gave his name as Aafa Mojeed Agbaje, two of his relatives (Tunde and Oladepo) were in the collapsed building.

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.”

A crowd of sympathisers, comprising traders and residents of the area, besieged the scene.

The incident led to a gridlock in the area as motorists from Idi Arere and Ojaaba areas, as well as those from Molete end of the city could not move freely.

One of the fire fighters who spoke with Saturday Tribune at the scene on the condition of anonymity, said: “We responded promptly to the emergency as we got to the scene about 35 minutes after the alert.

“We are trying our best to rescue the victims but the challenge we are facing is getting the right equipment to lift the concrete wreckage. Another challenge is the time of the day; it will soon get dark but that will not deter us from doing our best.”

The rescue operation was ongoing as of the time of going to press last night.