Collapse at Kwara Hotel under renovation claims two lives, leaves one injured

No fewer than two persons working on rehabilitation of the Kwara Hotel have been been confirmed dead while one other sustained serious injury following a collapse of a section of the Kwara Hotel fence collapsed on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

According to reports, the workers had earlier raised concerns about the structural integrity of the fence, warning the contractor of its potential danger.

It was gathered that the victims were earlier rushed to one private hospital named Sadiku Hospital at Unity Road for emergency treatment, where two of three victims were pronounced dead upon their arrival.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed that “an old fence between the hotel and a nearby facility collapsed,” injuring three workers.

He said despite the emergency response and first aid administered, two of the injured workers did not survive.

“It is quite saddening. Yesterday, an old fence between the hotel and a nearby facility gave in. Three workers on duty were badly injured. One of them made it, but the remaining two didn’t survive it despite the first aids and the emergency response at the nearest hospital.

The reconstruction of Kwara Hotel has been a flagship project of the current administration, with a reported budget exceeding ₦17 billion.

However, this fatal accident has raised serious questions about contractor oversight and worker welfare in the state.

It would be recalled that the Kwara State Executive Council had last year approved the award of the redesigning and wholesale rebuilding of Kwara Hotel to Craneburg Construction Company Limited.

The project aims to transform it into a five-star hospitality facility at N17.8 billion, with a projected duration of 24 months.