At least five persons have been confirmed dead while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Gudu District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Key Highlights:
- A three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Gudu area of Abuja on Saturday.
- At least five people were confirmed dead, while several others were injured.
- Emergency responders rescued 16 people trapped under the rubble.
- Victims were taken to hospitals including Federal Medical Centre Abuja, Asokoro District Hospital, and Maitama District Hospital.
- Authorities have launched rescue efforts and are expected to investigate the cause of the collapse.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, throwing residents and passersby into panic as emergency responders rushed to the scene for rescue operations.
The collapsed structure, located behind Gudu Market near the Durumi 3 axis, reportedly gave way while construction work was ongoing, trapping labourers and workers inside the building.
Eyewitnesses said the sudden collapse caused chaos in the area as nearby residents, traders and passersby attempted to assist before emergency agencies arrived.
Confirming the incident, the Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Federal Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Nkechi Isa, said search and rescue operations were immediately activated following distress calls from the scene.
According to her, multiple emergency agencies were deployed to the site, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, FCT Police Command, Nigerian Army, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and medical teams.
“Search and rescue operations are ongoing as emergency responders battle to rescue more persons trapped in the rubble of a collapsed three-storey building at the Gudu District in the FCT,” she said.
Isa disclosed that 16 persons had so far been rescued from the debris, with several of them sustaining injuries of varying severity.
She added that 11 of the rescued victims were taken to different hospitals within Abuja, including the Federal Medical Centre, Asokoro District Hospital and Maitama District Hospital, for urgent medical attention.
She further confirmed that five persons lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, confirmed the collapse in an online statement, noting that emergency response efforts were still ongoing at the site.
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He added that FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had directed that all victims receive free medical treatment as part of immediate intervention measures.
As rescue operations continued, anxious residents gathered around the scene, hoping for updates as officials combed through the rubble in search of possible survivors.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been officially determined, but authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the incident.
Building collapses remain a recurring challenge in Nigeria, often linked to concerns over construction standards, regulatory enforcement and building safety compliance.
