1 killed, 5 rescued in Enugu 4 storey building collapse

A four-storey building under construction and  a multi-million naira hotel, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday in Enugu, killing one of the workers on site while 5 others were rescued alive.

Two of those rescued were unconscious and were rushed to hospital for medical attention.

Our reporter, who visited the scene of the incident, gathered that a structure was raised at the place before it collapsed, thereby necessitating a new one, which also collapsed.

It was gathered that those trapped in the rubble were mostly workers at the site.

The police spokesman, SP Ndukwe, would not respond to calls for comment on the incident but an eyewitness said the area commander came to the scene earlier.

Chairman of the Enugu Capital Development Authority, Uche Anya, had also visited the scene and his office was helping in the rescue, removal of debris and search of others reportedly trapped.

Speaking to newsmen at the site, Anya said it was a case of recalcitrant developers who failed to comply with building codes.

Anya said ECTDA had taken regulatory action by sealing the site, which was approved in 2021.

“This property collapsed in the early hours of the morning. We arrived here around 6am. When we arrived, we met one of the security men who said six people slept in the uncompleted property, but one of them was not around when the incident occurred.

“So, the government emergency services arrived, and we started rescue operations. Four people, right now, are in the hospital receiving treatment as we speak. I believe there could be one more person in there, and that is why you see all this rescue efforts ongoing,” he said.