60-year-old, 19 others escape death in collapsed building

A-60-year old woman, Mrs. Risikatu Majekodunmi and 19 others escaped death yesterday  when a-50-year old storey building located beside the palace of Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo collapsed. The building which is also situated  adjacent to the Abeokuta South Local Government Secretariat in Ake Abeokuta, reportedly caved in at 8:a.m. yesterday while most of the occupants were still in the building.

The occupants, according to an eye-witness, rushed out of the building shortly before  the building caved in with a thunderous bang. The building had been marked  for demolition by the state  government  to give room for the expansion of the  road  in the area. Some of the occupants of the building were seen making efforts to recover their property.



While counting her loss, the 60-year-old  Mrs. Risikatu Majekodunmi who sells  local gin and herbs, explained that, the building collapsed  few minutes after they all  moved  out  following the  strange sound coming out  from it.

Another victim of the collapsed building, Mrs. Amuda Olowonyo, who sells  food near  the building,  said  she and her customers would have been dead if not that, they all took to their heels  when  the build- ing  started collapsing.

Addressing newsmen at the scene, Chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government, Mr. Lanre Edun, who blamed the incident on the heavy rain that fell the previous day, also traced the collapse to old age of the building He said, government quickly responded to the incident with the invitation of fire service and other relevant  rescue teams.