Three persons have been confirmed dead, while four others sustained severe injuries following the collapse of a multi-storey shopping complex in Owode-Ede, Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State.
DAILY POST gathered that the incident reportedly occurred at about 11 pm on Friday, trapping seven artisans working at the construction site beneath the rubble.
The victims were said to be apprentice tilers who travelled from Ejigbo, Osun State, to work on the building before the unfortunate incident occurred.
Sources at the scene disclosed that the artisans had worked late into the night and decided to sleep at the construction site, intending to continue their work on Saturday morning.
They reportedly became trapped when the structure suddenly collapsed, while their boss was said to have been absent from the scene at the time of the incident.
According to sources, "the building was already in a poor condition before it eventually collapsed, raising questions about its structural integrity."
The collapsed structure was reportedly a shopping complex comprising 12 shops on the second and third floors, while the basement contained two additional stores.
Sources also alleged that the construction was carried out without proper engineering supervision, claiming that the owner of the building personally supervised the project.
The owner, whose residence is reportedly located behind the shopping complex, was also said to have been responsible for purchasing the building materials used for the construction.
A video of the incident showed the structure reduced to rubble, with debris scattered across the construction site as rescue operations continued.
Officers of the Federal Fire Service and other emergency responders were sighted at the scene, working to rescue the trapped artisans and attend to those injured.
While three victims were confirmed dead, four others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The cause of the collapse had yet to be independently established as of the time of filing this report.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while further details regarding the identities of the victims and the condition of the injured survivors remain unclear.