Four Rescued, One Feared Dead As Uncompleted Building Collapses in Enugu

On early Sunday morning, a four-story building under construction collapsed in Enugu, resulting in one person feared dead and four others rescued from the rubble. The partially collapsed structure, which was a hotel under construction at Independent Layout Enugu, had five people residing within its walls. Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that more lives could have been lost had it not been for the regulatory interventions of the state government, which had sealed the site due to non-compliance with building codes.

The Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), Uche Anya, attributed the incident to a developer who failed to adhere to building regulations. Anya stated that the ECTDA had taken regulatory action and sealed the site, which had been approved in 2021. Upon arriving at the scene around 6 AM, the government emergency services initiated rescue operations.

Four individuals are currently receiving medical treatment at the hospital, while efforts are ongoing to locate one more person trapped in the debris.

The Enugu State Fire Service Director, Mr. Okwudiri Oha, commended the swift response by various agencies, including the Red Cross, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), ECTDA, Enugu State Ambulance Services, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

They praised the efficient mobilization of rescue equipment, such as bulldozers and excavators, which facilitated the rescue of four individuals, two of whom sustained minor injuries. The last person trapped was recovered, leaving the uncertainty of his fate still unresolved.