By Ado Oyeyemi
An unknown number of people are feared trapped after a three-storey building used as a student hostel collapsed in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, is located beside Tonimas Filling Station in Amokpala, Oko. It was gathered that the structure gave way in the early hours of Monday while occupants, believed to be mostly students, were inside.
The incident threw the area into panic as residents, passers-by and emergency responders rushed to the scene in an effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.
The number of casualties could not be immediately established, but eyewitnesses said several occupants were inside the hostel when it collapsed.
One resident, who identified herself as Ifeoma, said a loud noise preceded the collapse, attracting residents and students to the area before cries for help erupted from those trapped beneath the debris.
According to her, people immediately mobilised to the scene in an attempt to rescue victims.
Videos and photographs from the scene showed rescue workers, security personnel and volunteers searching through the rubble for survivors.
Officials of the Anambra State Fire Service, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency and other emergency agencies were said to have joined the rescue operation.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a joint security team had been deployed to coordinate rescue efforts and secure the area.
He explained that the police responded immediately after receiving a distress call, working alongside other security agencies to prevent further danger and assist emergency responders.
Ikenga added that the Fire Service and the State Emergency Management Agency also arrived promptly and joined the operation.
He disclosed that some injured victims had already been rescued from the debris and taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment, while efforts were ongoing to reach others who might still be trapped.
The police spokesman, however, noted that the exact number of casualties and affected persons had yet to be confirmed.
He urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay away from the scene to allow emergency workers unhindered access as rescue operations continue.
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Authorities said further updates would be provided as more verified information becomes available.
