One person was confirmed dead yesterday while others sustained injuries when a mosque collapsed at Yusuf Street, Papa Ajao, in the Mushin area of Lagos State.
The corpse of an 11-year-old girl was recovered by emergency responders at the scene.
The Guardian learnt that an excavator which had been working on a road hit the mosque accidentally during afternoon prayers, causing the collapse.
Spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said: “The rescue operation is ongoing but as I speak with you, the corpse of an 11-year-old girl has been recovered. The operation is still ongoing.”
While some people managed to escape, others who were unlucky, got trapped under the rubble.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who was at the scene, said: “Upon arrival at the scene at about 1:40.p.m, a storied 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, which resulted in the collapse as prayer was about to commence.”
He said four victims were immediately rushed to a hospital, while 10 people were trapped beneath the rubble.
