The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, has denied reports that any of its students died in the collapse of the Elite Five Star Hostel in Amaokpala, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
The institution made the clarification on Monday, a day after the privately owned hostel collapsed on Sunday night, saying the building is not located within the school premises and accommodates both students and non-students.
In a statement released by the institution's Public Relations Officer, Dr. Oguegbu Udoka, the polytechnic said no student of the school has been confirmed dead in the incident.
It also stated that the two people believed to have been trapped under the rubble were not students of the institution.
The management explained that most students had already left campus after completing their second-semester examinations before the building collapsed.
The Rector, Dr. Chioma Awuzie, visited the scene on Monday alongside other school officials to assess the situation. Officials of the Anambra State Government also joined emergency workers at the site as rescue efforts continued.
The institution appealed to members of the public to ignore reports claiming that its students died in the incident.
It added that it would continue to monitor the rescue operation and provide updates when necessary.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency sealed off the collapsed building as emergency workers continued search and rescue operations.
Despite the school's statement, emergency officials confirmed that one female victim was recovered dead from the rubble, while three other victims were rescued alive and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, said rescue workers were still searching for a young man believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
Heavy-duty excavators and other rescue equipment were deployed to clear the rubble carefully while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel.
Security operatives also secured the area to prevent interference and allow emergency workers unrestricted access as efforts continued to account for everyone who had been inside the building.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!