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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu and Okwe Obi, Abuja
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced the death of a man from a four-storey uncompleted building collapse at the Independence Layout, Enugu State.
NEMA explained that the incident occurred at about 6am, yesterday, prompting its Director-General, Zubaida Umar, to immediately direct the Enugu Operations Office to deploy an emergency rescue team to the scene and coordinate rescue operations with relevant stakeholders.
NEMA’s Head of Media, Manzo Ezekiel, in a statement, said the rescue team was informed that some people were trapped beneath the rubble and immediately commenced search and rescue operations. Ezekiel noted that an excavator was mobilised to support the painstaking removal of debris in an effort to rescue the trapped victims.
“As of 11:20am, the joint rescue team successfully recovered the lifeless body of one male victim from the collapsed structure.
Rescue operations are still ongoing as emergency responders continue to search through the debris to ascertain whether other victims remain trapped beneath the rubble.
“The operation is being coordinated by NEMA, in collaboration with the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority, and the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure,” he added.
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The building, located at No. 1 Ogbaguru Street, opposite St Patrick’s Hospital, was reportedly being developed as a hotel when part of the structure suddenly caved in at about 8am.
Construction workers were said to be inside the uncompleted building when the collapse occurred, sparking frantic efforts by residents and passersby to rescue those believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
A witness said a man identified as Bruce, who appeared to have escaped from the building, was also seen at the scene. The witness warned him against remaining close to the unstable structure, fearing that another section could collapse.
The incident reportedly affected the premises of the nearby St Patrick’s Hospital, with debris falling towards the hospital and damaging some vehicles parked there. There were also concerns about electrical hazards, as roofing materials and other parts of the collapsed structure were said to have become entangled with electric wires.
“If it is still on, it is dangerous,” the witness warned, calling for electricity to be disconnected around the area to protect rescuers, residents, and other people at the scene.
The collapse attracted a large crowd of residents and passersby, many of whom joined the rescue efforts. The cause of the collapse was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
