Panic gripped residents of Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, on the evening of Monday , September 7, after a three-storey building collapsed in the area, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Public Communications and Social Media, confirmed that the building collapsed at about 7 p.m. He said the FCT Administration’s Department of Development Control had earlier sealed the structure and directed occupants to vacate the premises.
The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) received a distress call at about 7:20 p.m. and mobilised emergency responders. The police, NEMA, FRSC, FERMA, Federal Fire Service, FCTA Security Service Department and other agencies also deployed personnel to the scene, while an excavator was being awaited to support the rescue effort.
Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh said no casualties had been confirmed as of the time of filing the report, although authorities were still searching the rubble for possible trapped persons. She added that an investigation had commenced to determine the circumstances and possible cause of the collapse, while residents were urged to stay away from the area and allow emergency teams unhindered access.
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