ONE person was immediately confirmed dead, others hospitalised and with many, mainly workers trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed five-storey building under construction along Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Wednesday, June 24,.
An eyewitness, simply identified as Victor, told journalists that the collapse drew an immediate response from locals who rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts using manual tools and their bare hands, noting: “Some persons are still trapped inside. I think one Aboki is still there. I have not also seen our brother.”
Another eyewitness added: “I personally heard a woman’s voice shouting for help, but for the past 30 minutes they have been searching and she is yet to be found. Searching is still ongoing.”
Speaking at the scene, the acting Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Health, Vincent Wachukwu, said emergency medical teams and ambulances was swiftly deployed following reports of the collapse.
He confirmed that three persons had been rescued from the rubble as at Wednesday evening, with varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), where the emergency response unit has been activated.
Also, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies were on the ground coordinating rescue efforts.
The incident came barely 24 hours after another three-storey building under construction collapsed along Slaughter Road, off Iwofe Road in Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.
