Students and teachers of a school in the Ogba area of Lagos narrowly escaped death on Monday after a four-storey building housing the institution collapsed minutes after they evacuated the structure.
The structure, which accommodated Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, gave way around midday at 11 Adudatu street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda axis of Ogba.
Witnesses said the building came down barely minutes after students and teachers were hurried out of the premises, preventing what residents described as a likely tragedy.
A resident who spoke with TheCable said concerns had been raised earlier when wooden planks reportedly fell from the roof, prompting alarm among people in the neighbourhood.
“The students narrowly escaped the incident. It was just about three minutes after they were evacuated from the building that the structure collapsed,” the resident said, adding that the structure had not shown obvious signs that it was about to give way.
According to the witness, an elderly man in the area alerted the school authorities that the building might be unsafe, prompting the quick evacuation of the occupants.
Taiwo Ridwan, another resident, said the building showed signs of distress shortly before the collapse.
“At first, the house started cracking little by little. The window frames had already fallen apart. After some minutes, the cement body of the house began peeling off. Not long after that, the building just sank,” Ridwan said.
Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later secured the scene and restricted access to the area.
Part of the property used for residential purposes remained standing beside the collapsed structure.
No casualties had been reported as of the time of this report. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Attempts to obtain an official reaction from Margaret Adeseye, the service’s director of public affairs, were unsuccessful.
About the Author
