FEMA confirms two dead in collapsed Abuja building

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA) has confirmed two persons dead from Wednesday night’s collapse of a two storey building located on Lagos Street, in Garki 2, Abuja.

The building which caved in during a heavy downpour at about past 11pm on Wednesday, trapped many occupants as responders scrambled to rescue survivors.

This is just as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of the owner of the property.

“The FCT Emergency Management Agency, FCT FEMA, said in a statement that two victims died, while 37 others were evacuated and taken to the hospital,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Wike, who gave the order when he visited the scene of the incident, Thursday morning, also asked the Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Adesola Olusade, to pay the medical bills of those hospitalised.

It would be recalled that, last Thursday, Wike visited the site of a collapsed two-storey building in the Garki II area of Abuja, Thursday, and reiterated his earlier position that buildings without approval will be demolished.The two-storey building reportedly collapsed, late Wednesday, during a heavy downpour at about 11pm.

Confirming the development to journalists in Abuja, the Director General of Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dr Abbass Iddriss said thirty-seven people have so far been rescued at the scene of the collapsed structure.

Dr Iddriss said the affected persons have been evacuated to various medical facilities in Abuja.

He further confirmed that two people were fatally injured.

“37 persons have so far been rescued and evacuated to Hospital, others reportedly still trapped.

“Rescue team and others are on ground. Rescue operation is on but slow due to ongoing rain”.

“They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble,” Iddriss aid.

Iddriss commended the efforts of all stakeholders working hard manually to rescue the trapped persons, including members of the community, as he disclosed that rescue mission continues while they await the arrival of equipment to enhance the operations.

The building located at the ever-busy Lagos Street in Garki village area of Garki II district of Abuja, according to an eyewitness account, housed many apartments, while the ground floor was full of shops.

Meanwhile, a Facebook user and former aide to the immediate-past Minister of the FCT, Ikharo Attah, who took to his Facebook page to post the incident in the wee hours of Thursday, said seven persons had so far been rescued and evacuated to hospital, while others were still trapped.

He confirmed that a rescue team and other first responders were on ground at about 2am carrying out rescue operations.

He lamented that the rescue operation was, however, slow due to the ongoing rain at the time.

“They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble,” Attah wrote.

Meanwhile, arriving at the site of the collapsed building, Thursday morning, the minister, Wike, told journalists present, that buildings without proper approval within the nation’s capital would be pulled down.

“This is what we are saying; any building without approval will go down.

“We don’t hate anybody. All we are saying is the proper thing should be done,” Wike said.