Two persons have died, while 37 others have been rescued, from the rubble of a collapsed two Storey Plaza located at Lagos street, Garki Village in the Garki District Abuja
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the building collapsed late Wednesday night amid heavy downpours.
Confirming the development, emergency officials said rescue operations had been slow over the night as there was no immediate access to an excavator and rescue efforts were purely manual.
Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Dr Abbas Idriss said 37 persons had so far been rescued at the scene of the collapsed structure.
He said the victims have been evacuated to various medical facilities in Abuja.T
“Thirty-seven persons have so far been rescued and evacuated to hospital, others reportedly still trapped. Rescue team and others are on ground. Rescue operations are on but slowly due to ongoing rain”. They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble”, he added.
The DG commended the efforts of all stakeholders working hard manually to rescue trapped persons, including members of the community.
He revealed that the rescue mission continues while they await the arrival of equipment to enhance the operations.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike has ordered the immediate identification and arrest of the owner of a two-storey building which collapsed in Abuja on Wednesday night.
The building had at least 39 residents, with two certified dead, and 37 rescued and taken to various hospitals.
Speaking at the scene of the incident, Wike noted that the original residents of the area were designated for resettlement, however wondered why for years, the FCT Administration could not carry out such resettlement.
While he applauded the rescue efforts, Wike said; “Unfortunately, we woke this morning to the very disturbing news of this building collapse. It is not what we contemplated. Let me thank the agencies particularly NEMA and FEMA that have supported us to rescue not less than 37 lives. Unfortunately, we lost two lives. I will appeal to the Permanent Secretary to make sure that funds are raised to pay the hospital bills of those who were rescued so that we do not lose any more people, and this should be done immediately.
“Secondly, these are the things we have been saying, nobody knows whose turn it will be, therefore When the government says it will take actions in areas where we believe there are illegal developments or buildings that do not comply with the standard codes, it is not as if anybody has any personal vendetta but for me it is for us to do the right thing.
“I don’t know why it has taken long for the FCTA to resettle them and so we will take immediate action to see that the indigenes of these places are resettled and then government has to plan out this place.