NEMA Responds To Enugu Building Collapse, Excavation Work Ongoing

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced coordinated rescue operations following the collapse of a four-storey uncompleted building at Independence Layout, Enugu State.

The building reportedly collapsed at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with reports that some persons were trapped beneath the rubble.

Following the incident, the director-general of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, directed the agency’s Enugu Operations Office to immediately deploy an emergency rescue team to the scene and coordinate the response with relevant emergency agencies.

NEMA said the rescue team commenced search and rescue operations immediately after arriving at the scene.

An excavator was also mobilised to assist in the painstaking removal of debris and facilitate access to areas where victims might have been trapped.

As of 11:20 a.m., the joint rescue team had recovered the lifeless body of one male victim from the collapsed structure.

The agency, however, said rescue operations remained ongoing, with emergency responders continuing to search through the debris to determine whether other victims were still trapped.

The operation is being coordinated by NEMA in collaboration with the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nigeria Police Force, Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority, and the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

NEMA said the responding agencies would continue their search and rescue efforts until the operation is concluded.