Excavator faulted as mosque collapse leaves three dead, others injured in Nigeria’s commercial hub
It was a sad moment to forget for Muslim worshippers on Sunday when a mosque suddenly collapsed at Yusuf Street, Papa Ajao, Ladipo area of Lagos State.
Eyewitness accounts say the incident occurred when an excavator clearing blocked drainages along the road recklessly struck the mosque, causing it to collapse while the afternoon prayer was about to commence.
Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, confirmed the deaths and stated that other trapped victims were rescued from the rubble.
“Upon arrival at the scene at 01:40 PM, a storey building was found to have collapsed. Preliminary investigation carried out upon arrival at the scene revealed that an excavator clearing the road recklessly hit a mosque (a storey building) by the roadside, which resulted in the mosque collapsing as prayers were about to commence.
“Four victims were immediately rushed to the hospital. A total of 10 people were trapped beneath the rubble.
“One adult was retrieved dead, while the others received pre-hospital care on the scene from the agency’s Pre-Hospital Care Unit. One with serious injuries was also transferred to the hospital.”
Other responders are the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).
The ugly incident shows how important safety regulations in building and demolition operations are to prevent needless loss of lives.
