A devastating tragedy unfolded on Sunday when a mosque unexpectedly collapsed during a worship service, causing the structure to crumble onto worshippers, including children, in the Yusuf Street area of Papa Ajao, Ladipo, Lagos State. The incident caused a total of three fatalities and left seven individuals wounded.
The casualties of the collapsed mosque included four people who sustained severe injuries that required immediate hospitalization. In addition, four others were treated on-site and released from medical care after their injuries were deemed less severe.
According to an individual who witnessed the incident, the tragic event unfolded when an excavator recklessly struck the mosque while clearing silt from nearby drains. The impact caused the mosque to suddenly collapse, just as the worship service was about to begin.
The aftermath was chaotic as onlookers and emergency personnel frantically worked to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority,Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu confirmed the deaths and informed the public that additional victims were successfully extricated from the wreckage.
Dr. Oke-Osanyitolu reported that the agency arrived at the scene at approximately 1:40 PM, and after a preliminary investigation, it was determined that the reckless operation of an excavator had directly caused the collapse of the mosque.
He noted “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.”
The rescue operation at the scene of the mosque collapse was led by the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), in collaboration with various other emergency response agencies, including 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 tragedy brought to light the pressing need for more stringent safety regulations and protocols to be implemented during construction and demolition projects, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that such operations are conducted with the utmost care and caution to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
