At least eight persons were rescued on Friday after a building under construction collapsed in the Jikwoyi area of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), while nine others escaped unhurt.The incident, which occurred in Jikwoyi Phase 1 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), involved about 17 construction workers at the site when the structure—variously described as a two- to three-storey building—suddenly gave way.Emergency response was immediately activated following a distress call received at about 9:00 a.m. The FCT Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, swiftly deployed operatives to the scene, cordoning off the area and commencing rescue operations.
They were later joined by the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Fire Service, the Nigerian Red Cross, officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, and representatives of CGC Construction Company.According to police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh, preliminary findings showed that nine workers managed to escape unhurt, while eight others were rescued from the rubble and taken to the Sisters of the Nativity Hospital in Jikwoyi, where they are receiving medical attention.
FEMD also confirmed that a coordinated search-and-rescue operation was still ongoing, noting that excavation of the site would continue until it is fully confirmed that no one remains trapped beneath the debris. In one account, officials said a worker initially trapped under the collapsed structure was successfully extricated during the rescue effort.Authorities said the cause of the collapse remains unknown. The FCDA’s Department of Development Control and structural engineers have begun preliminary assessments, while a full investigation has been ordered to determine possible lapses in approval, supervision, or construction standards.Security agencies have urged residents to remain calm and report any relevant information that may assist ongoing rescue and investigative efforts.
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