At least two people have died, while three others were rescued, after a three-storey hostel building collapsed in Amaokpala, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, reportedly has about 60 rooms and collapsed on the night of Sunday, July 26, while occupants, many of them students, were inside.
Eyewitnesses said the structure gave way shortly after a loud sound was heard, prompting residents and students in the area to rush toward the building.
One resident, identified as Ifeoma, said the unusual noise attracted people to the scene moments before the building came crashing down.
“We heard a very loud noise before the building collapsed. The noise attracted many residents and students, who rushed to the area to see what had happened. Within moments after the loud noise, people started shouting for help as the building came crashing down,” she said.
Emergency responders began rescue operations in the early hours of Monday, with personnel from the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies working together to search the rubble.
Heavy-duty excavators and specialised equipment were deployed to aid the operation while ensuring the safety of rescue workers.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, initially confirmed that one female victim had been recovered dead while three injured persons were rescued alive and taken to hospital.
“One female body was recovered, while three persons were rescued and taken to the hospital. The rescue operation will continue until every section of the debris has been thoroughly searched,” Omega said.
Rescue officials later recovered the body of a second victim, a male, bringing the confirmed death toll to two.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, said firefighters immediately joined the multi-agency rescue operation upon arriving at the scene.
According to him, search and rescue efforts remain ongoing to determine whether more people are trapped beneath the debris.
Chiketa also stated that the cause of the building collapse has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.
He urged members of the public to stay away from the area to allow emergency personnel to carry out rescue operations safely and without obstruction.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said police officers responded promptly after receiving a distress call, secured the scene and coordinated rescue operations alongside other emergency agencies.
He confirmed that the rescued victims were taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment and appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and allow rescue teams unrestricted access to the site.
Rescue operations were still ongoing at the time of reporting as authorities continued searching the collapsed structure for any additional victims.
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