Two people have been confirmed dead while three others were rescued after a three-storey hostel building collapsed in Amaokpala, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge and reportedly containing about 60 rooms, collapsed on Sunday night, July 26, while several occupants, mostly students, were inside.
An eyewitness, identified as Ifeoma, told PUNCH that residents heard a loud sound shortly before the structure suddenly gave way, attracting students and neighbours to the scene.
“We heard a very loud noise before the building collapsed. The noise attracted many residents and students, who rushed to the area to see what had happened.
“Within moments after the loud noise, people started shouting for help as the building came crashing down,” she said.
Rescue operations began in the early hours of Monday, with personnel from the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies working together to search through the rubble.
Heavy-duty excavators and specialised equipment were deployed to assist in locating survivors and ensuring the safety of rescue workers.
The acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, initially confirmed that one female victim had been recovered dead, while three injured persons were rescued alive and taken to hospital.
“One female body was recovered, while three persons were rescued and taken to the hospital. The rescue operation will continue until every section of the debris has been thoroughly searched,” Omega said.
However, rescue teams later recovered the body of another male victim, bringing the confirmed death toll to two.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, said firefighters joined other emergency responders in the search and rescue operation immediately after arriving at the scene.
He confirmed that one female victim was recovered from the rubble and pronounced dead at the scene before her body was evacuated and handed over to the relevant authorities for deposition at a morgue.
Chiketa said search and rescue operations were continuing to determine whether anyone else remained trapped beneath the debris.
He added that the cause of the building collapse had not yet been established and remained under investigation.
The fire service spokesperson appealed to members of the public to stay away from the scene to enable emergency responders to conduct the rescue operation safely and without obstruction.
Similarly, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said officers quickly secured the area after receiving a distress call and coordinated rescue efforts with other emergency agencies.
He said some injured victims had been rescued and taken to a hospital in Oko, where they were receiving treatment.
Ikenga urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay away from the scene to allow emergency responders unrestricted access to the affected area.
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