Four Persons Rescued in Abuja Building Collapse 

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja 

Four persons were rescued from the rubbles of a collapsed two-storey building at Sultan Dasuki Road, Phase 2, Site 2, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Saturday.

The affected building, located next to the popular Cupid Hotel, used to be the former Al-Hilal Hotel that was converted to a hospital and later a residential apartment.

The collapsed building contained 45 self-contained rooms.

One of the occupants of the building said he jumped out from the second floor after hearing pops and seeing cracks on the wall of the house.

The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) said in a statement by its spokesman, Nkechi Isa, that it received a distress call about the incident from passers by on its 112 emergency toll free number at about 6.45am.

The statement added that two of the rescued victims were taken to Kubwa General Hospital for medical treatment, while efforts were on going to search for any other person that may be trapped in the collapsed building.

Other responders that were at the scene for the rescue operation included the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), FCT Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Civil Defence Corps and the  Nigeria Police.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of FEMD, Mrs Florence Dawon Wenegieme, who was at the scene, said search and rescue efforts were on going until the last person was removed, if at all there was still anyone trapped in  the rubble.

She appealed to developers to follow strictly the building code and avoid the use of substandard materials.