Residents of Odo-Kekere Community in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State were on Thursday evening thrown into panic following the partial collapse of a structure at a public school in the area. The incident, which occurred after school hours, was accompanied by a loud sound that attracted neighbours to the scene. Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) swiftly arrived, cordoned off the area, and commenced safety and assessment procedures.
Preliminary findings indicated that no students were in the classrooms at the time of the collapse, a development residents described as a stroke of luck. As of press time, emergency teams were carrying out search and rescue operations to ensure that no security guards or staff members were trapped under the debris, while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause and extent of the damage. An eyewitness and nearby resident, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, said parents and community leaders had repeatedly raised concerns about the poor state of aging school infrastructure in the area and urged authorities to take urgent action to prevent future incidents.