Many trapped as building collapses in Abuja

Many people have been trapped after a building collapsed on Saturday in the Sabon Lugbe area of Abuja. 

Social media videos show residents on the rubble in attempts to rescue trapped victims. Emergency workers were also on the scene through the night.

The building was reportedly under construction.

“No fewer than 40 persons are currently trapped in the building,” one eyewitness said.

“People are under this rubble. It is a building under construction. We are calling on the government and relevant agencies to come and rescue those who are trapped here.”

Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the federal capital territory (FCT) police command, said in a statement that rescue operations are ongoing.

“The FCT Police Command has confirmed the collapse of a building situated in Vidaz Estate, within the Sabon Lugbe extension, FCT,” the statement reads.

“Our preliminary investigations reveal that the building was previously demolished by the FCT Authorities due to its location in an illegally acquired area.

“Regrettably, the structure was further compromised by scavengers who had been tampering with the remnants for scrap metal, ultimately leading to its secondary collapse.

“A total of five individuals were successfully rescued from the debris, and there were no reported fatalities.

“In light of this incident, we urge the public to respect the boundaries of demolished structures and construction sites, ensuring their safety and preventing similar occurrences in the future.”

The incident comes just months after a two-storey residential building in the Kubwa area of the FCT caved in.

Twenty-four hours prior, a two-storey school building in the Busa Buji community of Jos north LGA collapsed, as students and teachers prepared for their third term examinations.

Over 20 people were confirmed dead and 132 injured in the incident.

Musa Ashoms, Plateau commissioner for information and communication, said the school had a population of about 400, adding that the section that collapsed was accommodating 200 students.

The commissioner said the collapsed structure was built on a waterlogged area and did not meet standards.

Building collapses are also commonplace in Lagos — Nigeria’s commercial capital and most populous city.