A building sealed by the Department of Development Control has collapsed on Abidjan Street, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, with emergency agencies commencing search and rescue operations.
The FCT Police Command stated that it received a distress call concerning the incident at about 7:45pm on Monday.
A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, mentioned that a police response team was immediately deployed to the scene.
Adeh disclosed that the team was joined by personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Federal Fire Service, Security Service Department, Federal Capital Territory Administration, and other relevant emergency agencies in the rescue operation.
The police PRO said preliminary findings showed that the building had previously been marked and sealed by the Department of Development Control.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the building has earlier been marked and sealed by the Department of Development Control, Abuja,” Adeh said.
She said that no casualties had been reported as of the time of the statement and that search operations were ongoing to discover whether anyone was trapped beneath the wreckage.
“So far, no victims have been confirmed. However, search and rescue operations are still ongoing to identify and rescue any persons who may be trapped in the rubble,” she said.
The force said an investigation was also underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and its possible cause.
“Investigation is still ongoing to determine the circumstances and possible cause of the building collapse,” the statement added.
The police asked citizens to be calm and security-conscious, as well as to avoid the impacted area, so that emergency personnel could conduct effective rescue efforts.
The command also asked the public to immediately report any suspicious actions or emergencies to its emergency numbers.
