25 Aug Building collapse in Nigeria Capital

Thursday 24th, a building has collapsed in the centre of Abuja, killing two people and leaving many more trapped.

Rescue teams have converged on the site, located in the centre of the Garki district in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

Official sources have reported 37 people being pulled alive from the rubble, however, rescue services believe many more could still be trapped.

Nkechi Isa, spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that rescue efforts would continue until the entirety of the rubble had been searched. It is expected that many of those within the rubble will have suffered injuries.

Rescue crews from around the area are currently moving the remnants of the building through the use of excavators and bulldozers. Large crowds have surrounded the scene, cheering whenever an individual is pulled free from the site.

Building collapses are becoming commonplace in the city of Abuja. Last month, a mosque collapsed in the northwestern state of Kaduna, killing seven people.

Authorities are blaming officials who have failed to enforce building safety regulations, and avoided maintenance on the properties, as the main reason for the rampant cases of building collapse in the area.