Students, Teachers Escape Death as Four-Storey School Building Collapses in Lagos

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 were evacuated from the structure.

The building, which accommodated Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, caved in around midday at No. 11 Adudatu Street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda axis of Ogba.

Eyewitnesses said the structure collapsed barely minutes after students and staff were hurriedly evacuated from the premises, averting what residents described as a potential tragedy.

A resident who spoke with reporters said concerns had earlier been raised after wooden planks reportedly fell from the roof, triggering 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, noting that the building 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 structure might be unsafe, prompting the swift evacuation of occupants.

Another resident, Taiwo Ridwan, said the building showed visible 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 to prevent further risk.
Part of the property, which was used for residential purposes, remained standing beside the collapsed structure.

As of the time of filing this report, no casualties had been recorded. Authorities of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were yet to issue an official statement on the incident.