Enugu Building Collapse: 1 Dead, 4 Rescued, Govt Seals Site

Tragedy struck Enugu early Sunday, September 13, as a four-storey hotel building under construction collapsed in the state capital.

One person has been confirmed dead while four others were rescued alive. The Enugu State Government has now sealed the site.

The multi-million naira hotel project came down at about 6 a.m. while construction workers were sleeping on site. The structure crashed without warning, trapping those inside under concrete and iron rods.

An official at the scene gave a clear breakdown of the casualty figure. According to him, six persons were supposed to be on the site that night.

“When we came to the scene of the incident, we found out that there were a total of six persons that were supposed to be on the site. One person was not on the site as at the time of the incident, while the four others were rescued and taken to the hospital and have been stabilised,” he said.

He added that one body was recovered shortly after and taken to the hospital to confirm whether the victim was dead or alive.

Speaking at the scene, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Chinasa Mbah, said rescue teams are not taking chances. She confirmed that five persons were present at the time of the Enugu building collapse.

“We are going to excavate everything because you can see the machines that government brought. We will excavate everything to ensure no survivor or body is left,” Mbah stated.

Heavy-duty excavators and rescue equipment have been deployed by the state government to cut through the wreckage completely. The operation is being led by NEMA, SEMA, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the Police.

Officials of the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority have sealed off the premises. The sealing is to prevent further access and to allow for a full investigation into the collapse.

Residents told Obgist that this is the second time a building has collapsed on the same spot. An earlier structure built there also failed, which led to the construction of this new hotel.

The cause of the collapse is yet to be established. Authorities say structural tests will be carried out, as concerns grow over building safety, use of substandard materials and weak regulatory enforcement in Enugu.