Four persons have been rescued from a private students’ hostel near the Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State after the three-storey building collapsed on Sunday night.
The building, located at Amaokpala, a neighbouring community to Oko, caved in, prompting an emergency response by officials.
Rescue operations are ongoing, involving the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, COREN, the Fire Service, security agencies and other government officials to locate and rescue anyone still trapped.
One of the survivors told Radio Nigeria that the landlord had earlier issued a quit notice to tenants to enable repairs on the building due to visible structural defects.
She alleged that the caretaker, who is now at large, later rented out the rooms to new occupants in January.
Another survivor said she escaped from the third floor after hearing neighbours shouting moments before the building collapsed.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning, Mr Chijioke Ojukwu, alongside the Commissioners for Works, Mr Okey Ezeobi, and Health, Dr Afam Obidike, visited the scene.
They said the state government would investigate the immediate and remote causes of the collapse.
The Head of Operations, NEMA Enugu Office, Mrs Priscilla Madukwe, appealed for calm, assuring that an official statement would be issued after the rescue operation.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts were underway to deploy more excavators to the site, with only one machine available for the rescue operation.
