The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has announced that the tragic building collapse in Sabon Lugbe, along Airport Road in the FCT, has claimed the lives of seven individuals.
The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) also refuted media claims that 40 people were trapped beneath the rubble of the structure after the building collapsed.
Information gathered was that the building in question, located in Gidash Estate, was slated for demolition by the Department of Development Control.
The acting director general of FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, while addressing the incident at the site, emphasised that those who perished were scavenging for iron rods and other materials when the collapse occurred.
“The structure was marked for removal by development control. These individuals took advantage of the weekend, when no demolition was scheduled, to strip materials from the building’s supports, leading to this unfortunate event,” he said.
Abdulrahman also noted that the chairman of Miyetti Allah’s FCT chapter, Mohammed Hussein, confirmed that five members of their association were among the deceased recovered from the site, while seven others were rescued alive.
He said that FEMD has since concluded its search and rescue operations after confirming there were no additional victims trapped.
The acting director general urged scavengers to steer clear of demolition sites and allow the FCTA to conduct removals safely, to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
He also advised residents of the FCT to utilise the toll-free emergency number 112 to report disasters or emergencies.
