By Ghazali Ibrahim
Several people are feared dead and many others remain trapped after a three-storey students’ hostel collapsed in Oko, the host community of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, is located beside Tonimas Filling Station in the Amokpala area behind the institution.
The cause of the collapse had not been determined as of the time of filing this report.
Emergency responders, including officials of the Anambra State Police Command, the Anambra State Fire Service, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and volunteers, are carrying out rescue operations at the scene.
Some victims have been rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment, while bodies recovered from the debris have been deposited in a mortuary.
However, authorities say the number of casualties and those still trapped has yet to be confirmed.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said security agencies responded immediately after receiving a distress call on Sunday night.
According to Ikenga, police officers and other emergency responders secured the area to prevent further danger and coordinated rescue efforts.
He said rescue operations were still ongoing to reach other occupants who might be trapped beneath the collapsed structure, adding that injured victims had been evacuated to a hospital where they were receiving medical attention.
The police urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and stay away from the scene to allow emergency workers unrestricted access as search and rescue efforts continue.
