Residents of the Odo-Kekere Community in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, on Thursday evening, were thrown into panic following the sudden partial collapse of a structure in a local public school in the area.
The incident, which occurred after school hours, has been described as divine intervention.
According to a source, a section of the school building gave way late Thursday with a thunderous sound that drew neighbours to the scene.
First responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency LASBCA, raced to the scene promptly and cordoned off the area for safety purposes.
As of press time, the remote cause of incident and extent of damage were being investigated, while preliminary reports confirmed that students were not in the classrooms at the time of the collapse.
Emergency teams are currently conducting search and rescue operations to ensure no security guards or staff members were trapped in the rubble.
An eyewitness and resident, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, whose building is adjacent to the scene, expressed concerns of parents and community leaders in the area over safety measures by relevant authorities as they have earlier called for the renovation of aging educational infrastructure in the axis.
Meanwhile, high delegation from the State Ministry of Education has visited the scene for on-the-spot assessment and necessary action.
A senior officer of the ministry who confirmed the situation on the condition of anonymity said,
“We have officers on site, including the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary, Education District II, already assessing the situation for further action.”
This incident has raised serious concern over the condition of buildings in both private and public schools in Lagos, with the call for immediate overhaul of structures across primary and secondary schools in the interest of public safety.