A 25-year-old labourer lost his life on Monday evening after a foundation wall collapsed at an excavation site behind Radio House in Area 8, Garki, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Confirming the incident, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Department (FEMD) said the tragic incident occurred at approximately 5:50 p.m. during excavation work.
According to officials, the labourers were digging approximately seven feet underground when the supporting earth gave way, trapping two men under a pile of rubble.
Head of the FEMD Search and Rescue Team, Mr Monday Adie, who gave details of the rescue operation said, “The foundation wall collapsed as the labourers were excavating about 7 feet of the underground of the building.
“Two people were trapped in the rubble of the collapsed wall. While one was rescued alive, the other person was fatally injured,” Adie said.
He confirmed that the Federal Fire Service was the first responder, after receiving a distress call at the time of the incident and promptly mobilising its personnel to the scene.
FEMD commiserated with the family of the deceased young man, whose identity has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
Reacting to the tragedy, Acting Director General of FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed called for strict adherence to safety protocols at construction sites across the capital.
He stressed the importance engaging professionals in the building sector, and appealed to developers to shun quacks while emphasising the need to avoid a repetition of the unfortunate incident.
Abdulrahman also urged residents to always use the 112 Emergency Toll-free number to report disasters for a swift official response.
