By Sarah Ezeh
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the Anambra State Government have sealed off the site of a collapsed three-storey building in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
A joint emergency response team comprising NEMA, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Anambra State Fire Service, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, continued search and recovery operations using excavators and other specialised equipment.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, is located near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Students of the polytechnic were the main occupants of the building.
The building reportedly collapsed late at night. Witnesses said occupants had noticed unusual sounds shortly before the structure gave way, prompting a rapid emergency response to the scene.
The Head of Operations, NEMA Enugu Zonal Office, Mrs Priscilla Madukwe, who is coordinating the rescue effort, said the agency had secured the site with barricades and safety tape to restrict access and prevent interference with ongoing rescue and technical assessment activities.
She urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with emergency responders.
The Anambra State Government also announced the immediate closure of the premises pending a comprehensive structural integrity assessment.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Chijioke Ojukwu, said preliminary findings suggested possible structural failure.
He noted that the incident would further strengthen the state’s enforcement of physical planning regulations.
The commissioner warned that owners and developers of defective or non-compliant buildings would face appropriate sanctions.
He added that inspections of ongoing construction projects would be intensified to ensure adherence to approved standards.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, said security personnel secured the area immediately after receiving the distress report and urged residents to stay away from the site while rescue operations were ongoing.
As of Wednesday, authorities confirmed two fatalities, while three injured victims were receiving treatment at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) and St Michael’s Hospital, Oko.
Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation into the incident and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening building safety standards and enforcing compliance with physical planning regulations across Anambra State.
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