Four individuals were rescued from a two-storey residential building that collapsed on Saturday morning in Kubwa, the largest suburban town of Abuja.
The collapse occurred around 6:30 a.m., trapping several people in the debris. Professional rescuers arrived on the scene at 9:15 a.m.
The Federal Fire Service personnel, the first responders, were seen coordinating with other emergency and security services.
According to Vanguard, the building, situated next to the well-known Cupid Hotel on Cupid Road, Sultan Dasuki Way, Phase 2, Site 2 in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, had previously served as a hotel, Al-Halal, and later as a hospital.
After the hospital owners vacated, it was converted into a residential apartment with approximately 45 self-contained rooms.
Emergency responders and security personnel were present, but rescue operations were delayed due to the late arrival of essential equipment, which didn’t reach the site until 9:15 a.m., nearly three hours post-collapse.
In a later statement, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department mentioned that it was alerted to the incident by passersby and also received a distress call on the 112 emergency toll-free number at approximately 6:45 a.m.
Head of Public Affairs at the department, Nkechi Isa, reported that two of the four rescued victims were promptly taken to the Kubwa General Hospital.
She stated, “Efforts are ongoing to search for any other person that may be trapped in the collapsed building.”
Two individuals were initially rescued and transported to a nearby hospital, while many others managed to escape on their own.
Additionally, apart from a lady who had moved out of the apartment the previous day, some occupants avoided the collapse by being out for early morning exercises.
One escapee, who preferred to remain anonymous, mentioned that she woke up shortly before 7 a.m. and, upon hearing cracks after stepping out of her section, fled the building.
Most of those who escaped were from the upper floors, while those on the ground floor were primarily trapped.
The situation took a dramatic
