Updated: Abuja building collapse: Four people rescued as rescue operation continues

Rescue teams have rescued four people trapped in the debris of a collapsed two-story building adjacent to the Cupid Hotel on Sultan Dansuki Road, in the Kubwa area of Bwari Area Council, Abuja.

Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, the Acting Director of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Federal Emergency Management Department, gave the most recent update on the rescue efforts in a statement on Saturday.

She said: “The FCT Emergency Management Department was notified of the incident by passersby and also received a distress call on the 112 emergency toll-free number at about 6.45 a.m.

“Two of the rescued victims have been taken to the Kubwa General Hospital. Efforts are ongoing to search for any other persons who may be trapped in the collapsed building.

“The FCT Emergency Management Department, National Emergency Management Agency, FCT Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, the Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Police are on the ground at the incident scene.

“Search and rescue efforts are ongoing until the last person is removed, if at all there is still someone trapped in the rubble.”

Wenegieme urged developers to adhere strictly to building regulations and refrain from using inferior materials.

An eyewitness recounted her harrowing experience, saying that at about 7 a.m., she was in her room when she heard a strange cracking noise, which left her perplexed.

She said: “I narrowly escaped the building collapse by a few seconds, managing to run out of the house just a minute before it came crashing down.

“It was a miraculous escape, and I emerged unscathed, shaken but grateful to have avoided the devastating consequences of the disaster.”

Persecondnews reported that a two-storey residential building in Abuja suffered a partial collapse early Saturday morning, trapping several occupants.

Located next to the well-known Cupid Hotel on Cupid Road, also known as Sultan Dasuki Way, in Kubwa, the structure has a history of repurposing.

After serving as the Al-Hilal hotel, the building transformed into a hospital, and after the hospital closed, it was redesigned into a residential apartment.