Ekosodin, a community housing several University of Benin Students Was thrown into panic on Saturday morning when a storey building on Ekhator Street, Benin, the Edo State capital, collapsed during the early morning downpour in the state.
Ekosodin is a neighborhood with a border with the University of Benin and a large student population.Due to limited accommodation options within the university, many students unable to secure housing on campus choose to reside in the area making it a popular off-campus housing destination.
However, one of the survivors in the collapsed building incident, Dorcas Olushola, who also happened to be the landlord’s daughter on Sunday, narrated that her rescue from the rubble was “miraculous” and that she was lucky to be alive to tell her story.
Dorcas described her experience to the Punch while still receiving treatment at the Trauma Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
According to the report, Olushola who is also a 300-level student of Social Work at the University of Benin stated that the three-storey building began to vibrate and collapsed almost immediately while she was still trying to figure out what was happening.
Olushola, who is also a 300-level student of Social Work at the University of Benin, which borders Ekosodin, said she was on the second floor when the building eventually collapsed.
She said, “I am lucky to have been pulled out alive from the debris. It was raining heavily early that morning and I didn’t know that the compound was flooded because I was in my room on the second floor.
“All of a sudden, I started feeling the vibration of the building. As I was trying to find out what was happening, the building collapsed on me.
“I was rescued from the collapsed building by people. I am lucky to be alive and I thank God for that. I also thank those who rescued me, without them I would have been dead by now.
“I suffered some bruises on my leg but beyond that I am fine. However, the experience was traumatising. I commend the staff members of UBTH as I am currently responding to treatment.
It was learnt that the landlord, her father had travelled out of the state and that he was still being expected back in Benin.
The management of the University of Benin has confirmed that students rescued from the collapsed storey building are currently stable in the hospital.
The Edo State Government in a statement confirmed the collapse of the three-storey building , adding that a rescue team was deployed to the site of the incident and all the trapped students were rescued alive and are receiving medical attention.
The government also ordered a full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the collapse as well as an audit of other buildings in the area to ascertain their status.
