Kwara Building Collapse: Mother Found Dead With Child in Her Arms as Family Tragedy Claims Four Lives
A mother and three of her children have been killed by the collapse of part of a three-storey building in a family tragedy in Ilorin, Kwara State, early Tuesday morning.
The incident happened at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, next to Gogoro Mosque, where eight members of the same family were trapped under the debris.
The Kwara State Fire Service reports that four persons were rescued alive, among them the father of the children, while four bodies were recovered from the collapsed part of the building.
Abdul, who was identified as a rescuer, said that the mother and her youngest child, believed to be between five and seven years old, were found dead under the debris.
He said that the building collapsed on the bed where they were sleeping and they brought out the mother with her last child of about 5-7 years on her chest dead.
One of those rescued was another child named Firdaus who was brought to hospital for treatment.
The family’s father was reportedly found alive after rescuers heard his voice in the debris. He was in the toilet when he collapsed, doing ablution.
The eldest girl who passed away was said to be a student of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, and was scheduled to start her National Youth Service Corps programme later this week.
The occupants of the main building were evacuated and structural assessments were ordered. The reason for the collapse has not yet been determined.
The incident has reignited worries about child safety, building codes and emergency preparedness, prompting officials to advise families to evacuate buildings that have structural issues.
