UPDATED: One dead, other trapped in Abuja building collapse

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Several hours after struggling to rescue survivors of the Abuja building collapse earlier today, one person has been confirmed dead while others remain trapped in the rubble.

Radiojagaban had earlier reported that a building said to be a mall collapsed in the Kubwa area of Abuja, Friday morning.

A joint rescue operation by members of the Nigerian Security Civil defense Corp, National Emergency Management Agency and residents have recorded one death while five persons have been rescued amid speculations that there is one or a few more trapped.

Officers of the Nigerian Police force were also on ground to facilitate the rescue mission.

Abuja building collapse

According to reports, the building which was under construction was also housing a shopping mall and collapsed at Hamza Abdullahi Street Off Gado Nasco Road.

According to one Mr Emmanuel Omeke, who said he lives beside the building, the collapsed structure was initially a shopping mall but recently converted into residential apartments.

He suggested the addition of extra blocks to the structure may have led to the collapse.

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Meanwhile, Son of the victim who died in the rubble, Shuaibu Abdullahi, was reportedly, one of the victims earlier evacuated from the collapsed building and taken to a general hospital to receive treatment.

Speaking with newsmen, Abdullahi had said,

“I was rescued with the other four persons, but my dad who is a security man is still in the collapsed building and I sustained injuries.”

Reacting to the incident, coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Umar Shuaibu, said that they were making efforts to rescue the other victims possibly trapped in the rubble.

Shuaibu said,

“Two among the rescued are out of the hospital while three victims are still in the hospital. But we are suspecting that two people are trapped because it is development ongoing.

“So usually in a construction site like this, we cannot determine who and who are inside. As you can see here, we are making sure that all hands are on deck to rescue the trapped victims.

Abuja collapse

“Right now, our attention is securing lives. Whoever is responsible, we will know later. Usually, the developers on sites cut corners. At times, they do not do proper mixing. They sometimes use substandard materials.”

Abuja building collapse

Earlier, spokesperson to the FCT Minister, Mr Attah Ikharo, told newsmen that the FCT Administration has made efforts to rescue victims, especially the deceased, and the last person reportedly trapped in the building.

“Work has been ongoing in an advanced state. I have been going around the issue of the collapsed building, and five persons have been rescued so far, and another male have been pulled out of the rubble but he seems to have been confirmed dead and have been taken to the morgue at the Kubwa general hospital,” he said.

READ>> Many trapped as Abuja Shopping Mall collapses

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Abuja building collapse

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