Four persons have been rescued after a four-storey uncompleted hotel building collapsed at Independence Layout, Enugu, on Sunday morning, while one other person is feared dead.
The developer’s representative has also been taken into police custody to assist investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The building, which was approved in 2021, reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, trapping several persons who were staying at the uncompleted structure.
Residents and emergency responders rushed to the scene following the incident, with rescue operations continuing for several hours.
Speaking to journalists at the site, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), Barr. Uche Anya, said the incident involved what he described as a recalcitrant developer who failed to comply with approved building regulations.
Anya said the agency had previously sealed the property after discovering serious structural integrity concerns and violations of the conditions attached to its approval.
“This property collapsed in the early hours of the morning. We arrived here around 6am. When we arrived, we met one of the securitymen, who said that six people slept in the uncompleted property, but one of them was not around when the incident occurred,” he said.
He explained that government emergency agencies immediately commenced rescue operations, leading to the recovery of four persons who were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
According to him, the agency had conducted an inspection of the property and discovered what he described as “serious integrity issues” and non-compliance with the 2021 approval.
“I personally issued the first stop-work order, which, due to the violation, resulted in our sealing the place over the last six months,” Anya said.
He added that the owner’s representative, who reportedly resides abroad, had recently been engaging with the agency over efforts to address the regulatory issues surrounding the property.
Anya said he had handed the representative over to the police to assist with the investigation.
Also speaking, the Director of the Enugu State Fire Service, Engr. Okwudiri Oha, commended the prompt response of the various emergency agencies involved in the rescue operation.
He listed the Red Cross, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), ECTDA, Enugu State Ambulance Services, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps among those involved in the operation.
Oha said the deployment of heavy-duty equipment, including bulldozers and excavators, helped the rescue teams reach the trapped victims.
He said the security guard initially informed rescuers that six persons were expected to be at the site, although one had left before the collapse.
“From that initial information, we were able to rescue four persons. Out of the four, two sustained minor injuries and they were all rushed to a health facility for proper checks,” he said.
Oha added that rescue workers later recovered a fifth person from the debris, but his condition could only be confirmed after he was taken to a medical facility.
The NEMA Information Officer in Enugu, Mr Ezeani Nnanyelugo, also confirmed that six persons were believed to have been at the site before the incident.
He said one person was absent when the building collapsed, while four others were rescued and taken to hospital, where they were stabilised.
“Just not quite long ago, one body was recovered and it was taken to the hospital to confirm whether he was dead or alive,” Nnanyelugo said.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Chinasa Mbah, said emergency workers would continue excavating the entire debris to ensure that no survivor or body was left behind.
“We are going to excavate everything because you can see the machines that government brought. We will excavate everything to ensure no survivor or body is left,” she said.
