Three-storey building collapses in Abuja after sealing

A three-storey commercial building has collapsed in Abuja’s Wuse Zone 4, just hours after officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration sealed the property and ordered occupants to leave.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, with the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) receiving a distress call at about 7:20 p.m.

FEMD spokesperson, Nkechi Isa, said the Department of Development Control had earlier visited the premises, sealed the building and directed those inside to vacate the property.

Emergency responders were subsequently deployed to the scene as authorities began efforts to determine whether anyone was trapped beneath the debris.

Isa said preliminary information from witnesses suggested that there were no casualties, but responders were still conducting assessments and search operations to establish the full situation.

The cause of the collapse had not been determined as of Monday night.

Personnel of the FCT Fire Service joined the rescue operation, while three ambulances were deployed to provide emergency medical support.

FEMD said an excavator was also expected at the scene to enable responders to clear the rubble and intensify the search for possible victims.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks after a separate building collapse in Kubwa, also in the Federal Capital Territory.

On August 28, FEMD reported that a one-storey residential structure containing six blocks of flats collapsed in the Kubwa 2/2 area, near Yellow Page.

Two occupants who were trapped inside a ground-floor apartment were rescued and taken to Kubwa General Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

Meanwhile, FEMD has appealed to residents and passers-by to keep away from the Wuse Zone 4 site to avoid obstructing emergency personnel and security agencies working at the scene.

Search and rescue efforts were still underway as of Monday night.