UPDATED: 2 Dead, 37 Rescued In Abuja Building Collapse

Two persons have been confirmed dead and 37 others were rescued from the rubbles of a two-storey building that collapsed on Lagos Street, opposite the Garki police station, Garki Village, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) late Wednesday night during a heavy downpour.

The director-general of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Dr. Abbas Iddriss, while confirming the incident, said 37 persons had so far been rescued at the scene of the collapsed structure, while two others were fatally injured.

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Idriss said the affected persons had been evacuated to various medical facilities in the FCT, while some people were still trapped in the rubbles.

He said the heavy downpour had slowed down the rescue operations.

“Rescue team and others are on the ground. Rescue operations are on but slowly due to ongoing rain. They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble,” he had stated late Wednesday night.

The director general commended the efforts of all stakeholders working hard manually to rescue trapped persons, including members of the community.

He revealed that rescue missions have continued while they await the arrival of equipment to enhance the operations

A combined team of FEMA, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), FCT Police Command, and the VIO have intensified efforts to search for more victims who were still trapped under the rubbles.

The collapsed two-storey building was reported to have served both residential and commercial purposes.