By Ado Oyeyemi
Two persons have been confirmed dead, while three others were rescued after a three storey students’ hostel 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, reportedly caved in on Sunday night, trapping an unspecified number of occupants, mostly students, beneath the rubble and triggering a large scale rescue operation.
Residents said panic gripped the area as the structure gave way with many occupants believed to have been inside at the time of the incident.
An eyewitness, Ifeoma, said a loud sound was heard moments before the building collapsed.
“We heard a very loud noise before the building collapsed. The sound attracted many residents and students to the scene, and shortly afterwards people started shouting for help as the building came down,” she said.
Emergency responders, including officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Anambra State Fire Service, the police and other security agencies, arrived at the scene early Monday and commenced rescue operations.
Using heavy equipment and specialised rescue tools, personnel searched through the debris for survivors while security operatives cordoned off the area to prevent interference.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, confirmed that one female victim was initially recovered dead, while three injured persons were rescued and taken to hospital.
She added that rescue efforts would continue until every section of the collapsed structure had been thoroughly searched.
Later on Monday, rescue workers recovered the body of another male victim, raising the death toll to two.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, also confirmed the casualties, saying firefighters immediately joined other emergency responders in search and rescue operations upon arriving at the scene.
He said the cause of the collapse had yet to be established and remained under investigation, urging members of the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue personnel to work safely.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said officers responded promptly after receiving a distress call and secured the scene in collaboration with other security agencies.
According to him, some injured victims were rescued and taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment, while efforts continued to determine whether more people remained trapped beneath the debris.
Ikenga appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and allow emergency workers unrestricted access to the site.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency has sealed off the collapsed building to facilitate rescue operations and investigations into the cause of the incident.
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A NEMA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the premises were barricaded to prevent unauthorised access after students and residents were seen gathering around the site, hampering ongoing rescue efforts.
