Panic in Abuja as two-storey building caves in, leaves workers injured

At least seven persons have been confirmed injured following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction in the Jikwoyi area of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Department (FEMD), which led the initial rescue efforts, confirmed that the structural failure occurred at about 11:00 am on Friday while several labourers were working on the site.
According to the FEMD Search and Rescue Team, the collapse affected 17 workers who were on the upper floor of the building at the time of the incident. While 16 managed to escape the immediate impact, five workers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
A more serious situation arose when a male worker at the ground level became trapped beneath the collapsed structure. After intensive rescue operations, he was successfully pulled out from the rubble.
“The injured workers and the rescued trapped male have been taken to the Sisters of Nativity Hospital in Jikwoyi and are responding to treatment,” the department said in its situation report.
A multi-agency response team is currently at the scene managing the aftermath. The team includes officials from FEMD, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Department of Development Control, and the Engineering Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). They are supported by personnel from the Nigeria Civil Defence, the Federal Fire Service, and the FCT Police Command to maintain order and provide technical assistance.
Despite the successful rescue operations so far, FEMD stated that work will continue until the entire site is cleared.
“Excavation of the incident scene is still ongoing until ground zero to ensure that no person is trapped in the rubble,” the agency confirmed.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined and will be investigated by the Department of Development Control and FCDA engineers.