A 13-year-old girl lost her life when a storey building collapsed in Odo Uri area of Igede-Ekiti, the headquarters of Irelodun/Ifepodun Local Government of Ekiti State.
The incident happened around 2:15am on Tuesday and also injured her parents and two siblings, who were rushed to the hospital.
According to an anonymous source from the community, the building was already in a bad condition and collapsed when the occupants were sleeping. The girl died instantly and her body was recovered from the debris. The other survivors were lucky to escape with their lives.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, expressed his sadness over the tragedy and visited the site of the collapse and the Adeyinka Adebayo General Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, where he consoled the victims and assured them of his support. He also said that the government would pay for their medical expenses.
Oyebanji, who was represented by his deputy, Monisade Afuye, said that the incident was a wake-up call for everyone to be more careful about the safety of their buildings.
He said that the government had enough laws and regulations to ensure proper building standards in Ekiti and urged the people to comply with them.
He also said that the government agents would soon inspect the neighbouring buildings and demolish them if they were unsafe.
Oyebanji appealed to the people living in dilapidated buildings to relocate as soon as possible to avoid another disaster.
The Governor also directed the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (EKSEMA) to provide alternative accommodation for the affected family.
