Dozens Feared Killed In Abuja Building Collapse

At least 37 people have been killed and several are feared trapped after a multi-story building collapsed in Abuja, Punch reported.

The incident took place on Wednesday night at Lagos Street in Garki, Abuja around 11:00 p.m. local time during heavy rainfall. An eyewitness confirmed on social media that the multi-story building had many apartments while the ground floor was used by shopkeepers.

"There was wailing all over the place after the building collapsed. Dozens of people are either dead or trapped as the building is fully occupied," the eyewitness said, Punch reported. "It was a scene of helplessness with people screaming and going helter-skelter, while the heavy rain continues."

At the moment, a rescue operation is going on and 37 people have been sent to the hospital so far, as per Ikharo Attah, who served as an aide to former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello.

Attah shared a video on Facebook of the incident and wrote, "The plaza served both commercial and residential purposes. So far 37 persons have so far been evacuated to Hospital, and Two 'Fatally injured'. Others reportedly still trapped."

He added, "The rescue team and others are on the ground. Rescue operations are on but slowly due to ongoing drizzling rain. They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble."

In the video, many people can be seen standing around the collapsed building while some trying to rescue the trapped victims.

A resident named Sunny Njoku confirmed the incident and said, "It's true. I just passed the place now and I saw many people at the scene. I couldn't wait because I am rushing to the hospital," Daily Trust reported.

Another eyewitness named Bello Shehu Tijjani took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and posted a photo of the collapsed building and claimed to be at the site around 3:00 a.m., revealing that no emergency team arrived until morning 7:00 a.m.

"A building collapse on Lagos Street in Abuja occurred around 11pm yesterday," he wrote. "I was at the scene of the incident around 3am, but there was still no sign of response from emergency teams to save lives until this morning around 7am. It's hard to believe that in the heart of Abuja."

While many such incidents have been reported in the past, this is the first since Minister Nyesom Wike took over the office as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. During his inaugural address in May, the minister threatened to demolish houses built illegally in Abuja, Nigeria.