The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Sadiq Abubakar, has vowed that all those trapped in the building which collapsed in the Gwarinmpa area of Abuja on Thursday will be rescued as police officers join rescue operations.
had reported how a three-storey building caved in at 4th Avenue, Gwarinmpa, on Thursday morning.
Abubakar noted that following the collapse of the three-storey building that was under construction, the command had made necessary deployment to assist with the ongoing rescue of victims and the general safety of the area.
The CP, who visited the scene, assured that the police would provide all necessary support to ensure the ease of the rescue operations and to ensure hoodlums do not take advantage of the situation.
He equally pledged the support of the command to aid the functions of the Building Regulatory and Investigative Bodies.
reports that the FCT Director of Monitoring, Inspection and Evaluation, Attah Ikharo, had disclosed that eight persons had earlier been rescued from the rubbles of the collapsed building, with two feared dead.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, Samuel Keror, who is also a construction worker, told our correspondent that the building had been raised under six months, with the swampy area only sand filled.
Keror said, “The building came up very fast. Do you know that they had not completed the fence, they had already completed the building? Look at the fence, part of it is still there. And it was filling. That place is a swampy area, they filled it before the building came up”.
Eyewitnesses revealed that about 40 persons were initially trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.
Describing the situation as very unfortunate, Abubakar called on the residents of the area to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious movement to the police, as he prayed that the victims, especially those reportedly trapped under the rubble, would be rescued and stabilised accordingly.
Speaking when he led his team to the site of the collapsed building, the CP said, so far, 20 people had been rescued, and one person confirmed dead.
Earlier, the Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, confirmed the incident to , saying her team had rescued 11 persons.
“The persons we rescued have been taken to Gwarimpa General Hospital. We are working to rescue more victims,” she had said.
reports that in August 2022, a two-storey building collapsed in Kubwa, a satellite town in the Bwari Area Council of the territory, killing one person and leaving workers trapped.
The building, which was under construction, collapsed at Hamza Abdullahi Street, off Gado Nasco Road.
