Three people have been confirmed dead, while four others sustained serious injuries after a multi-storey shopping complex collapsed in Owode-Ede, Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11 pm on Friday, trapping seven artisans working at the construction site under the debris.
The victims were reportedly apprentice tilers who had travelled from Ejigbo, Osun State, to work on the building.
Sources at the scene said the artisans had worked late into the night before deciding to spend the night at the construction site, with plans to resume work on Saturday morning. However, the building suddenly gave way, trapping them beneath the rubble. Their employer was reportedly not present when the incident occurred.
Some sources alleged that the structure had shown signs of weakness before its eventual collapse, raising concerns about the quality of construction and its structural stability.
The building was said to be a shopping complex featuring 12 shops on the second and third floors, with two additional stores located in the basement.
There were also allegations that the construction was carried out without adequate engineering supervision, with the building owner reportedly taking personal responsibility for overseeing the project and purchasing the construction materials.
The owner was said to reside behind the shopping complex.
A video from the scene showed the building reduced to rubble, with debris scattered across the site as emergency responders battled to rescue those trapped.
Operatives of the Federal Fire Service and other emergency personnel were reportedly at the scene, conducting rescue operations and providing assistance to the injured victims.
While three of the seven artisans were confirmed dead, the remaining four sustained varying degrees of injuries.
However, the exact cause of the collapse had yet to be established as of the time of filing this report.
Authorities were yet to release an official statement on the incident, while the identities of the deceased and the current conditions of the injured survivors remained unknown.