ABUJA, Aug 24 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Yet-to-be determined number of people were feared dead and many others trapped in a multi-storey building, which collapsed amidst heavy downpour on Wednesday night in Abuja.
The building is located at the ever-busy Lagos Street in Garki village area of Garki II district of Abuja.
An eyewitness, Tanko Dabo, who was at the scene after the incident, said the building was housing many apartments, while the ground floor was full of shops.
He said the building collapsed during the heavy downpour, which started around 11:50pm late Wednesday night.
“There was wailing all over the place after the building collapsed. Dozens of people are either dead or trapped as the building was fully occupied.
“It was a scene of helplessness with people screaming and running helter-skelter, while the heavy rain continued,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Facebook user and former aide to the immediate-past Minister of the FCT, Ikharo Attah, who took to his Facebook page to post the incident in the wee hours of Thursday, said seven persons had so far been rescued and evacuated to hospital, while others were still trapped.
He confirmed that a rescue team and other first responders were on ground at about 2am carrying out rescue operations.
He lamented that the rescue operation was, however, slow due to the ongoing rain at the time.
“They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble,” Attah wrote. — NNN-ALLAFRICA
