Disaster in Sagbe Aba-Alfa Ojoo of Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday as the new Covenant Church under construction collapsed, killing five people and injuring two. Among those that died were two women.
Daily Sun gathered, that about seven people were working at the site when the church collapsed around 8pm. The victims were said to be waiting for their supervisor to pay them for work of the day, when the rain started.
It was during the rain that the building caved in, killing five. Four of the victims were said to have died on the spot while one was died early yesterday morning. Two other victims were said to have been trapped by iron rods. Nevertheless, sympathizers rescued them.
They were later rushed to Folawiyo Hospital, Moniya where they were being treated. Those outside the church at the time of the collapse escaped with bruises. The early arrival of the men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Fire Service and men of the Nigeria Police Force as well as sympathizers combined to rescue those trapped in the debris of the collapsed building.
The wife of the Pastor of the church, Rev. Olaoluwa Oluwasegun, was said to have received the news with shock and slumped when she got to the site, one of the survivors, as Mr Wole Sokunbi amidst songs told people at the scene that some of his colleagues were still trapped inside the debris.
One of the symphatizers said, "Immediately the building collapsed we called 199 but there was no respond until someone was able to get through to the fire service. We needed them to bring a tractor or heavy machine to remove the debris of rescue trapped victims.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi, in the early hours of yesterday, led other top members of his administration on a rescue mission to the site. Ajimobi, who arrived at the scene around 1 a.m. in company of his wife, Florence, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde and other top government officials, described the incident as terrible and disheartening.
He blamed the incident on the failure of the contractor handling the church building to use quality materials as his (contractor's) intention to cut cost. "If the contractor had not compromised quality, this incident would not have happened,'' the governor said, regretting that happened despite repeated warning that people should ensure quality in everything they do including building construction.
He ordered that thorough investigation would be carried out on the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the building
Bery bad.
R.i.p to those that were affected.