By Jane Okafor, Abuja
A tragic building collapse has claimed the lives of at least five persons in the Durumi area of Abuja, while 10 others were rescued alive after a three-storey structure under construction suddenly gave way on Saturday morning.
The incident occurred in Durumi 3, near Gudu Market, around the Gaduwa Estate axis of the Federal Capital Territory, throwing residents and traders into panic as emergency responders raced to the scene.
Rescue teams comprising officials of the Federal Fire Service, health workers, security agencies, and local volunteers immediately launched a massive search-and-rescue operation, digging through the rubble in search of more victims believed to still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Eyewitnesses said several workers were inside the building when it caved in, triggering chaos and desperate cries for help from survivors buried under debris.
The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, who visited the scene, disclosed that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, had ordered free medical treatment for all victims affected by the disaster.
According to her, the government has mobilised emergency medical support to ensure the injured receive urgent care without financial burden.
As rescue efforts continued late into the day, anxious residents and sympathisers crowded around the site, hoping more survivors would be pulled out alive.
Authorities are yet to determine the exact cause of the collapse, though investigations are expected to commence after rescue operations are concluded.
