- Panic as Three-Storey Student Lodge Collapses in Anambra
- The exact number of casualties has yet to be confirmed, eyewitnesses said many of the occupants believed to be trapped were students
- Some victims have already been rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment
A three-storey building used as a student hostel has collapsed in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, trapping an unknown number of occupants beneath the rubble.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, is located beside Tonimas Filling Station in Amokpala, Oko. It reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Monday, throwing residents and passers-by into panic.
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Although the exact number of casualties has yet to be confirmed, eyewitnesses said many of the occupants believed to be trapped were students.
One of the eyewitnesses, who identified herself simply as Ifeoma, said residents rushed to the scene after hearing a loud sound.
“We heard a very loud noise before the building collapsed. The noise attracted many residents and students, who rushed to the scene to see what had happened.
“And within moments after the loud noise from the building, the occupants inside started shouting for help as the building fell,” she said.
Videos and photographs circulating online showed emergency responders, security personnel and volunteers searching through the debris in an effort to rescue survivors.
Officials of the Anambra State Fire Service, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other emergency agencies were deployed to the scene to coordinate rescue operations.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team immediately responded after receiving a distress report.
“The Anambra State Police-led Joint Security Team assures the public that rescue operations are ongoing following the late-night incident on Sunday involving the collapse of a three-storey building known as Elite Five Star Lodge, located beside Tonimas Filling Station, Amokpala, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state,” he said.
According to Ikenga, the police secured the area to prevent further danger while collaborating with other security agencies and emergency responders in the rescue effort.
He added that the Anambra State Fire Service and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency joined the operation promptly.
Some victims have already been rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital in Oko for treatment, while efforts continue to reach others who may still be trapped.
The police urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay away from the scene to allow emergency personnel unhindered access.
Authorities said further details, including the number of casualties, would be released as rescue operations progress.
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