Several people, including a site engineer and a contractor, are reportedly trapped under the rubble of a collapsed five-storey building in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The building was under construction when it caved in on Wednesday. Emergency responders have been trying to rescue survivors.
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The building collapsed along Peter Odili Road, Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, at about 9 a.m., according to witnesses, triggering panic among residents and workers in the area.
As of Wednesday night, three persons had been rescued alive from the debris, according to reports by News Central TV.
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Rescuers were still searching for other victims believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
One body was also recovered from the rubble, although medical authorities had yet to formally confirm the death at the time of reporting. Members of the Muslim community at the scene reportedly identified the victim as one of their own and claimed the body for burial.
Emergency responders, including officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), were seen coordinating rescue operations at the site.
In the News Central TV’s live footage, the NEMA official stated that rescue workers would remain at the location until all trapped victims were accounted for.
“We will be here until all the bodies are recovered,” the official said in footage from the scene.
Emergency responders optimistic about rescuing additional survivors
Rescue workers expressed hope that more survivors could still be found.
A Red Cross official said emergency teams remained optimistic about rescuing additional victims alive once they gained deeper access into sections of the rubble that had not yet been reached.
The situation became more intense when a News Central reporter at the site said she heard cries for help from a woman believed to be trapped beneath the debris at about 4 p.m.
According to the reporter, excavation equipment operating at the site was temporarily halted after the cries were heard. However, rescue officials later said extensive searches in the area where the voice was believed to have originated did not lead to the discovery of any trapped victim.
Residents around the collapsed building site said it had at least 20 workers. With three rescued alive and one suspected death, at least 16 people may still be in the rubble.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes around the collapse site as anxious relatives, residents and onlookers gathered while rescue workers searched for survivors.
Questions have also emerged regarding compliance with approved building specifications.
According to the News Central TV report, authorities had approved the construction of a three-storey structure at the site, but work had reached the level of a five-storey building while the contractor was aiming at the sixth floor before the incident occurred.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify this claim, and government authorities had yet to comment on the allegation as of the time of filing this report.
The contractor handling the project was also reported to be among those trapped beneath the rubble.
Heavy-duty equipment was deployed to support the operation. Although six excavators and related machines were reportedly available at the site, only one was actively engaged in clearing debris during the television broadcast.
The cause of the collapse has not been officially determined.
READ ALSO: Two dead as truck crash, building collapse hit Lagos
Authorities had yet to issue a formal statement on the incident as rescue efforts continued late into Wednesday night.
There have been public concerns over the rates of building collapse in Nigeria.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos, killing one person while 13 were rescued.
This newspaper also reported in May how school children escaped shortly before a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos.
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