Three people have been confirmed dead and four others seriously injured after a multi-level shopping complex under construction collapsed in Owode-Ede, within Osun State’s Ede North Local Government Area.
The incident occurred at about 11 p.m. on Friday, leaving seven artisans buried beneath the debris at the construction site. The workers were apprentice tilers who had travelled from Ejigbo in Osun State to carry out work on the property.
They had reportedly continued working late on Friday and chose to spend the night at the site so they could resume the job on Saturday morning. The building gave way while they were asleep. Their supervisor was reportedly not present when the collapse occurred.
People at the location said the structure had appeared to be in poor condition before it failed, prompting concerns over the building’s structural soundness.
The property was described as a shopping complex with 12 shops spread across its second and third floors, as well as two stores in the basement.
There were also claims that the project had not been overseen by qualified engineering professionals. The building owner was alleged to have personally managed construction activities and to have bought the materials used for the development.
The owner is said to live behind the collapsed shopping complex.
Footage from the scene showed the building reduced to a pile of wreckage, with construction debris strewn around the site as rescuers searched for the trapped workers.
Personnel from the Federal Fire Service and other emergency teams were deployed to recover victims from the rubble and provide assistance to those hurt in the incident.
Three workers were pronounced dead, while the remaining four suffered injuries of differing severity.
The precise reason for the collapse had not been independently determined at the time of reporting. Authorities had also not released an official statement, and the identities of the victims and the medical condition of the survivors were not yet clear.
