TWO DEAD, THREE RESCUED AS THREE-STOREY STUDENT HOSTEL COLLAPSES IN ANAMBRA
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Two persons have been confirmed dead, while three others were rescued after a three-storey hostel building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, collapsed in Amaokpala, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The building, which reportedly contained about 60 rooms, collapsed on Sunday night, trapping an unknown number of occupants, mostly students, beneath the rubble and causing panic among residents and passers-by.
Eyewitnesses said the building caved in while occupants were inside.
A resident, Ifeoma, said a loud noise was heard moments before the structure collapsed.
“We heard a very loud noise before the building came down. Residents and students rushed to the scene, and shortly after, people started screaming for help as the building collapsed,” she said.
Videos and photographs circulating online showed emergency responders, security personnel and volunteers combing through the debris as large crowds gathered at the scene.
A joint rescue operation involving 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 commenced in the early hours of Monday.
Using excavators and other heavy equipment, rescue workers carefully removed debris in search of survivors while maintaining the safety of emergency personnel.
The atmosphere remained tense as residents, students and sympathisers watched the rescue efforts, while security operatives cordoned off the area to allow responders unrestricted access.
By Monday evening, rescue teams recovered the body of another male victim, bringing the death toll to two.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, confirmed that one female victim had earlier been recovered dead, while three injured persons were rescued and taken to hospital.
She said rescue operations would continue until every section of the collapsed structure had been thoroughly searched.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, also confirmed the fatalities, adding that emergency personnel immediately began search-and-rescue operations upon arrival.
He said the cause of the building collapse had yet to be determined and remained under investigation, while urging members of the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue workers to carry out their duties safely.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said police officers responded promptly to the distress call, secured the area and coordinated rescue efforts alongside other emergency agencies.
He noted that some injured victims had been taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment and appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay clear of the scene.
Meanwhile, NEMA has sealed off the premises of the collapsed building to facilitate ongoing rescue operations and enable investigators to determine the cause of the incident.
A NEMA official said the area was barricaded to prevent interference from onlookers and ensure emergency workers could continue their operations without obstruction.
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