One person was feared dead while eight others were seriously injured on Friday, as a four-storey shopping complex in the popular Itoku Market, Abeokuta, Ogun State collapsed on them.
An eyewitness account indicates that about 15 persons were working before it collapsed at about 8,30 a.m.
Angry residents threw stones at the engineer but the timely intervention of the police in the convoy of the governor restored normalcy at the scene.
Men and equipment of the state Fire Service and officials of State and National Emergency Management Agencies mobilised to the scene to rescue trapped workers.
Mr Sulaimon Yakubu, the South-West Zonal Co-ordinator of NEMA, told newsmen that 16 workers who reported for duty had been accounted for.
He said eight of the workers were rescued unhurt while the remaining eight were rushed to the hospital.
“Five of the eight at the state hospital at Ijaiye are still receiving treatment, two of them have discharged themselves while the remaining one has died’’, he said.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who addressed newsmen at the scene of the incident, expressed sadness over the death.
He confirmed that the 16 persons who reported at the building had been accounted for.
Amosun said rescue operation would continue until they get to ground level in order to ascertain that no life was still trapped under the rubbles.
The governor assured that investigation would be conducted into the remote and immediate cause of the collapse.
He said government had about 20 buildings around the place, adding that integrity test would be conducted on all of them to double check their structural viability or otherwise.
“I feel sad at what happened and also take personal responsibility for the incident because I am the governor and the buck stops at my table.
“When things go right, we all take the glory together, but when things go wrong, I have to take responsibility.
“We have already sent our people to condole with the family of the deceased.
“The government has about 20 buildings in this area and we will conduct integrity test for all of them and we will even bring buildings down where necessary.’’
