A five-storey building under construction collapsed in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, killing one person and trapping several others beneath the rubble as emergency responders raced against time to rescue survivors.
The structure, located along Odili Road in Rivers State, came down in the morning, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving multiple emergency and security agencies.
As of Wednesday evening, rescue efforts were still ongoing, with officials confirming that several people, including the site engineer and a woman who sold food to workers at the construction site, were believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
Rescue workers said they could still hear the food vendor calling for help from under the rubble, raising hopes that more survivors could be pulled out alive. Floodlights were later deployed to support overnight operations.
One worker was confirmed dead after reportedly being struck on the head by a falling concrete pillar. His body was recovered from the wreckage as distraught relatives, residents and onlookers watched.
Emergency medical teams rescued four victims from the collapsed structure and transported them to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The collapse occurred just three days after another building failure in the Iwofe area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where a three-storey structure caved in without recording any casualties.
Although authorities are yet to determine the exact cause of the latest collapse, some residents alleged that the use of substandard materials may have contributed to the disaster. Others claimed the project was originally approved as a three-storey hotel before two additional floors were added during construction.
A resident familiar with the project alleged that the original engineer objected to the expansion and later withdrew from the site before another engineer took over.
Survivor Taiwo Oladimeji, a mason who said he travelled from Lagos to work on the project, told journalists that at least eight workers were inside the building when it suddenly gave way.
“My brother was inside when it collapsed. Four people have been rescued alive, but others are still trapped,” he said, fighting back tears.
Officials from the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other agencies coordinated rescue operations at the scene.
Speaking to reporters, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Director of Medical Services, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, said emergency responders were mobilised immediately after receiving reports of the collapse.
“We quickly deployed ambulances and medical personnel to support the rescue operation. Those rescued have been taken to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital for treatment,” he said.
Three excavators were seen clearing debris while rescue workers and relatives searched for signs of life among the wreckage.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Edward Hart, said preliminary findings indicated that the building had approval from the Federal Housing Authority but not from Rivers State urban planning authorities.
Hart said the incident highlights the need for stricter compliance with building regulations and warned that the government would continue its crackdown on illegal developments and projects that violate approved standards.
