Three people have been killed, and four others injured after a two-storey shopping complex under construction collapsed in Owode-Ede, Osun State.
The incident occurred late on Friday, trapping workers who were reportedly staying in the building to continue their work the following day.
The Osun State Commandant of the Federal Fire Service, Femi Isaac, confirmed the casualties in a telephone interview with Online on Saturday.
Isaac said the agency received a distress call from the Divisional Police Officer of A Division around 11 pm on Friday and immediately deployed personnel to the scene.
He said the victims were tiling apprentices working on the shopping complex, adding that their supervisor was not with them when the building collapsed.
“Three people died and their bodies have been taken to the mortuary, while five were rescued alive and taken to a private hospital in Ede. Four sustained serious injuries. Some of them fractured their legs and hands. Only one person who did not sleep early escaped unhurt,” he said.
According to him, the workers had noticed that the building was not strong before the collapse.
He said the most senior apprentice told rescuers that he had warned the others against sleeping on the upper floor shortly before the structure gave way.
Isaac said the police and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also participated in the rescue operation.
Two residents of the community, who spoke with our correspondent on Saturday, said a loud noise from the building shortly before 11pm attracted the attention of people in the neighbourhood.
One of them, identified as John, said three bodies were recovered from the rubble, while the injured victims were taken to hospital.
“I live in the neighbourhood where the collapsed building is located. It’s a two-storey building. Three dead bodies were recovered from the rubble. Some other people were also injured. From what we heard, those killed and the others injured slept in the building,” he said.
John added that operatives of the Federal Fire Service and the police arrived shortly after the incident and continued search and rescue operations until the early hours of Saturday.
He also said the owner of the building lived close to the site and was present during the rescue operation.