Ademola Babalola, Ibadan

Rescue operations were still on late Friday as scores of victims were trapped in a three-storey building that collapsed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

This came barely four days after a collapsed building in Lagos led to the death of at least 20 people.

The incident happened around 5:45pm in Sogoye area of Molete.

The number of affected victims could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

The Oyo State Government spokesman, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said the government was on top of the situation.

Arulogun said, “We have deployed two excavators there. Our officials are right there now, to rescue trapped victims. There is no cause for alarm.”

The three-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed with several people injured and others trapped in the building.

No death has been recorded as at the time of filing this report.

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

Others were still making calls to relatives for help. Radio stations alerted the public of the development.

Tragedy struck when 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 in 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”.

The other lucky ones include a 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.

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According to one of the rescuers who gave his name as Aafa 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 while the road was blocked.

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