By Latiifah Amusan
Abuja was the site of a devastating incident on Wednesday as a multi-story building collapsed, claiming the lives of two individuals and leaving several others trapped.
The catastrophe occurred during a torrential downpour that began around 11 p.m.
An eyewitness who was present at the scene, speaking to The PUNCH, disclosed that the ill-fated building accommodated numerous apartments along with shops on the ground floor.
The eyewitness recounted the horrifying events, stating,
“There was wailing all over the place after the building collapsed. Dozens of people are either dead or trapped as the building is fully occupied. It was a scene of helplessness with people screaming and going helter-skelter, while the heavy rain continues.”
In response to the incident, the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) confirmed that 37 individuals had been successfully rescued, but tragically, two had suffered fatal injuries.
Dr. Abbass Idriss, the Director General of FEMA, issued a prompt statement the following morning.
He revealed that the rescued individuals had been transported to various medical facilities in Abuja and emphasized that collaborative efforts with other rescue agencies were in progress.
Dr. Idriss stated,
“37 persons were rescued alive, while 2 others were fatally injured. Meanwhile, the FEMA Search and Rescue team is awaiting excavators to intensify the search to ensure that no victim is left in the rubble of the collapsed building.”
He also mentioned that a coordinated team comprising the FCT Emergency Management Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps, FCT Police Command, and the VIO were actively engaged in the rescue mission.
