FIVE persons were confirmed dead and 10 others rescued alive after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Durumi 3 area, near Gudu Market, Abuja, on Saturday, May 16.
Emergency responders are making efforts to evacuate more victims believed to be trapped beneath the rubble at the construction site, located around Gaduwa Estate in the Gudu District. As of the time of filing this report, search-and-rescue operations were being carried out by personnel from the Federal Fire Service, health workers, security agencies, and local volunteers.
In a statement, Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, confirmed that administrative measures were in place to support the victims.
According to the statement, Wike directed that those evacuated alive from the rubble be given immediate care without promptly.
“Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, who was at the scene, said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has directed that all casualties be given free medical treatment,” the statement added.
The tragedy adds to previous building collapses with casualties in the city.
The ICIR reported in August 2022 that two people died following a building collapse in the Kubwa area of the nation’s capital.
Similarly, in July 2024, the city recorded another building collapse in Kubwa, in which several occupants were trapped.
Zainab Abdulrasaq ia a reporter and a fact-checker with The ICIR. She believes that accountable citizenship starts with an accountable government, which is why she highlights injustice and everyday struggles through her reporting, one story at a time. She adores reading and can be reached via zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org and @blackbookishgirl on Instagram/Medium