ABUJA, Aug 27 (NNN-Xinhua) — Two people were confirmed dead after a three-story building under reconstruction in a suburb of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, collapsed early Friday, an official said.
Four injured persons were rescued from the rubble of the building, which suddenly caved in during rainfall in Kubwa, a suburban area of the capital city, early in the day, said National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Ezekiel Manzo.
The two bodies were recovered as rescue operators were concluding their search in the rubble, Manzo told Xinhua over the phone, adding that all six victims of the collapse, including the four injured persons rescued earlier, were found.
The building, which used to house a shopping mall, was being converted into a residence by its owner, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) said.
In a short statement, the NSCDC said the victims of the collapse are construction crew working at the site.
It is not yet clear why the building collapsed but local analysts said it may be connected with the attempt to add more tiers that were not initially planned from the base level.
Cases of building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria, and local experts blame them on aging structures, non-compliance with building planning and regulations, and the use of substandard materials during construction. — NNN-XINHUA
