In a devastating incident on Saturday, two young siblings, Gbolahan and Olayinka Atolagbe, aged seven and nine, lost their lives when a fence partially collapsed on their building in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, Nigeria. The tragedy occurred following heavy rainfall in the area.
The children, a boy and a girl, were trapped underneath the debris at approximately 11:30 am local time at their residence on 25 Ajao Street, CWC, Ishawo.
According to the Southwest Zonal Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye the bodies of the two children have been recovered. He stated, “The children were trapped when a fence from the neighboring house fell on their building during the heavy downpour.”
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Farinloye expressed deep sorrow over the situation, highlighting that timely distress calls were not adequately directed to those responsible for saving the children, leading to the tragic outcome.
The father of the deceased, Ahmed Atolagbe, spoke to journalists and revealed that he was not at home when the incident occurred. He had left for work in the morning and received a distressing call informing him that water from a neighboring building had penetrated the walls, causing the collapse that claimed the lives of his two beloved children.
Atolagbe, who had been residing in the house for ten years, expressed his profound grief and lamented the loss of his children.
Officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) were present at the scene to assess the situation and investigate the cause of the fence collapse. The incident has deeply affected the local community, and authorities are expected to take necessary measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
