By Ado Oyeyemi
One person has been confirmed dead while an unspecified number of others are feared trapped following the collapse of a four-storey uncompleted building in Enugu State.
The incident occurred around 6am on Sunday at Independence Layout, Enugu, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
NEMA’s Press Unit disclosed this in a statement signed by Manzo Ezekiel and shared on the agency’s official X handle.
Following the incident, NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar, directed the agency’s Enugu Operations Office to immediately deploy an emergency rescue team to the scene and coordinate the response with other relevant agencies.
The agency said rescuers were informed upon arrival that some people might be trapped beneath the rubble, prompting the immediate commencement of search and rescue operations.
An excavator was subsequently deployed to assist the emergency responders in clearing the debris and reaching possible survivors.
NEMA said that by 11:20am, the joint rescue team had recovered the body of a male victim from the collapsed structure.
However, the agency said rescue operations remained ongoing as emergency workers continued to comb the rubble to determine whether more victims were still trapped.
The rescue operation is being coordinated by NEMA alongside the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Police Force, Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
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The agencies are expected to continue the search and rescue efforts until the affected site is thoroughly cleared and it is established whether any other persons remain trapped beneath the debris.
