A five-storey building under construction collapsed on Wednesday morning along Odili Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, killing one person and trapping several others beneath the rubble. Rescue operations were still underway as of 7:30 pm.
Rescue workers said they could hear a food vendor calling for help from beneath the debris. Among those feared trapped are the site engineer and the woman, who sold food to construction workers. The deceased victim was reportedly struck on the head by a falling pillar and was pulled out lifeless, drawing tears from onlookers.
Officials of the Rivers State Emergency Medical Services rescued four people and rushed them to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. Relatives of the deceased, said to be from northern Nigeria, resisted attempts to move the body to a mortuary, insisting on an immediate burial.
Eyewitnesses blamed the collapse on the use of substandard materials. A resident alleged the building was originally approved as a three-storey hotel but was later expanded to five floors without proper authorization. The source claimed the initial engineer resigned over the modification, and another was brought in to continue the project.
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Authorities shut down Amadi Junction leading to Odili Road to aid rescue efforts. The operation involved personnel from the Rivers State Government, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, and other emergency agencies, with floodlights deployed to continue work into the night.
Survivor Taiwo Oladimeji, a mason brought from Lagos, said at least eight workers were inside when the structure gave way. He added that his brother remained trapped. Officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Ministry of Health, and other agencies coordinated the response at the scene.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Edward Hart, said the incident highlights the need for stricter oversight of construction projects. He noted the building had approval from the Federal Housing Authority but not from Rivers State authorities, and warned of continued clampdowns on illegal developments.
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