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Five dead, 12 injured
By Stanley Onyekwere
The search and rescue operation at the site of Saturday’s tragic building collapse behind the Gudu Market, in Abuja has been officially called off after emergency teams reached “ground zero” with no further victims found.
The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) announced the conclusion of the operation early Sunday morning, bringing an end to the frantic efforts to locate potential survivors beneath the rubble of the three-story structure.
Reaching ground zero
The final phase of the rescue operation commenced at 7:00 AM on Sunday. By 8:30 AM, emergency workers had successfully cleared the remaining debris down to the foundation.
The Acting Director-General of FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, confirmed that the site was thoroughly cleared and no additional victims remained trapped under the wreckage.
“Having successfully reached ground zero, we can confirm that no more victims were found beneath the rubble,” Engr. Mohammed stated, announcing the official end of the rescue efforts.
Casualties and dramatic rescues
According to a statement from Nkechi Isa, Head of Public Affairs at FEMD, the final casualty count stands at five dead and 12 injured.
The uncompleted three-story building, which collapsed unexpectedly on Saturday, primarily trapped construction laborers and bystanders.
The operation saw some dramatic moments, including the rescue of a victim who was pulled out alive after spending more than nine hours trapped under the debris.
Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, Secretary of the FCT Health and Environment Secretariat, was on the scene and personally attended to the survivor before he was evacuated to the hospital.
FEMD disclosed that the 12 survivors were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Abuja, Asokoro District Hospital, and Maitama Hospital for treatment.
Following a directive from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, all injured victims are receiving free medical care.
Multi-agency collaboration
FEMD DG highly commended the swift intervention and corporate social responsibility of construction giants Julius Berger Nigeria and Zeberced, both of whom deployed heavy-duty machinery to expedite the clearing process.
The rescue was a massive, multi-agency effort. Key stakeholders participating on the ground included: FCT Health and Environment Secretariat (led by Dr. Fasawe), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), The Nigerian Army,FCT Police Command, FCT Fire Service and Federal Fire Service, as well as Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
With the rescue phase now concluded, formal investigations into the root cause of the structural failure are expected to commence immediately.
