Three Dead, Five Rescued as Two-Storey Building Collapses in Osun

Three people have died and five others have been rescued after a two-storey commercial building collapsed in Owode-Ede, Ede North Local Government Area of Osun State, trapping workers beneath the rubble.

The incident occurred late on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Zone 8, Oke Alaafia Community, throwing residents into panic and triggering an overnight search-and-rescue operation by emergency responders.

The collapsed structure was a shopping complex reportedly under construction. It contained shops and stores, while some construction workers, identified as tiling apprentices, were staying inside the building ahead of the following day’s work.

According to reports, eight people were trapped when the building came down at about 11 p.m. Residents alerted security operatives, who contacted the Federal Fire Service for emergency assistance.

The Federal Fire Service subsequently deployed rescue personnel to the scene, working alongside the Osun State Fire Service, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Federal Fire Service confirmed that three victims were recovered dead, while five others were rescued alive and taken to Idera Specialist Hospital in Ede for medical attention.

The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Olamide Ojo, described the collapsed structure as a two-storey commercial complex comprising six shops on the upper floor, six shops on the middle floor and two stores on the ground floor.

Preliminary investigations by the Federal Fire Service suggested that structural defects and the use of substandard building materials might have contributed to the collapse.

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However, further investigations would be required to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether construction standards were violated.

The Osun State Commandant of the Federal Fire Service, Femi Isaac, also disclosed that four of the five rescued victims sustained serious injuries, including fractures to their legs and hands. The remaining survivor reportedly escaped without injury.

Isaac said the victims were tiling apprentices working on the shopping complex and that their supervisor was not present when the building collapsed.

He added that the workers had reportedly noticed signs of structural weakness before the incident. According to him, the most senior apprentice told rescuers that he had warned his colleagues against sleeping on the upper floor shortly before the building gave way.

The rescue operation involved personnel of the Federal Fire Service, the Osun State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the NSCDC.

The three bodies were handed over to operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at A Division, Ede, while the injured survivors received medical attention.

The Federal Fire Service estimated the value of property lost in the collapse at approximately ₦100 million, while property worth about ₦150 million was reportedly saved during the emergency operation.

The search-and-rescue exercise was completed on Saturday morning, October 31, with the responding fire service personnel returning to their station at about 9:26 a.m.

The incident has renewed concerns about building safety, construction standards and regulatory enforcement in Nigeria, particularly amid recurring reports of building collapses across the country.

The Federal Fire Service expressed sympathy with the families of the deceased and urged developers, property owners and residents to comply with approved building regulations, use quality construction materials and report emergencies promptly.