Photo: unrelated photo of a building collapse
At least five persons have been confirmed dead, while 11 others were rescued after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Gudu district of Abuja in the early hours of Saturday, as emergency responders continued search operations for possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The building, located behind Gudu Market near Gaduwa Estate in the Durumi 3 area, reportedly caved in at about 3:30 a.m., trapping an unspecified number of people, most of them labourers working on the structure.
Of the 16 victims pulled from the debris, 11 were rescued alive and rushed to medical facilities, including the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, Asokoro District Hospital, and Maitama Hospital for urgent treatment, while five others were confirmed dead.
Emergency response teams from the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department, National Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Fire Service, the FCT Fire Service, and the FCT Police Command were deployed to the scene, working alongside health personnel and local volunteers as concerned residents gathered around the cordoned-off area.
The FCT Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment, Adedolapo Fasawe, who visited the site, disclosed that Nyesom Wike had directed that all victims of the incident receive free medical treatment.
Head of Public Affairs of the FCT Emergency Management Department, Nkechi Isa, confirmed the casualty figures in a statement issued on Saturday morning, adding that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing as responders raced against time to locate anyone who might still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
