Maroc - VERACITY.COM.NG - A La Une - 16/Jan 10:33

BREAKING: Tension in Lagos as public school building collapses

There was anxiety in the Odo-Kekere area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Thursday evening after a portion of a public school building collapsed, sending shockwaves through the neighbourhood.The incident happened after pupils had left for the day, with residents reporting a sudden crash that attracted people from nearby houses to the school premises.Eyewitnesses said the affected section of the building, believed to be old, caved in unexpectedly, raising fresh concerns about the safety of public educational facilities in the community.Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, alongside officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, quickly arrived at the scene and restricted access to the area to avert further danger.Initial checks by emergency responders indicated that no students were inside the classrooms when the structure failed, a situation many residents described as a narrow escape.Search efforts were also carried out to confirm that no security guards or school employees were caught under the rubble.A nearby resident, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, said the development had renewed fears among parents and community stakeholders, noting that appeals for repairs to the school buildings had previously been made without response.She recalled that the loud noise and dust caused panic, adding that the consequences would have been severe if the collapse had occurred during school hours.Meanwhile, officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Education were at the location to inspect the damage and assess the next line of action.A senior ministry source disclosed that key officials, including the Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary of Education District II, were already conducting an on-the-spot evaluation of the situation.