Nineteen people have been rescued from the rubble of a three-storey shopping mall that was under construction in Abuja.
Ikharo Attah, the senior special assistant to the federal capital territory, FCT, minister on monitoring, inspection, and enforcement, had after the collapse of the building said that seven people were rescued.
However, he added that several people were still feared trapped under the rubble of the building which is said to be a shopping mall under construction in the 7th avenue area of Gwarimpa in Abuja.
Attah said, “As of 2:41pm on Thursday, we have rescued seven persons. Out of the seven, five looked stable while two have been taken to the hospital due to their unstable condition.
“So, many of them are still there. Many of them are still calling their relatives under the rubble.”
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The FCT emergency management agency in a statement hours after the incident said a total of 19 persons had been rescued.
“A combined team of FEMA, NEMA, FRSC, Nigeria Police, Civil Defence Corps, and the Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency are at the scene of the incident to rescue the persons trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building,” a statement by Nkechi Isa, spokesperson of the agency, reads.
“Some construction companies with heavy-duty equipment were also part of the rescue efforts.”
Isa added that the victims have been taken to hospitals in Wuse, Gwarimpa, and Asokoro.”
Source: Cable