By Joyce Remi Babayeju
A Jikwoyi building collapse which occured at about 10: am on Good Friday has left one mason trapped beneath the rubble awaiting rescue and eight site workers injured and currently receiving treatment at Nativity Hospital in Abuja.
The tragedy struck at three storey building belonging to belonging to a businessman populaly known asUgo West was filled with a handful of masons and labourers working when the building started collapsing throwing people off guard with many sustaining injuries and one still buried in the rubbles.
Eyewitnesses at the scene of collapse described it as a moment of panic and confusion as the structure suddenly gave way, burying occupants while bystanders scampered for safety.
Speaking with Daybreak at the scene of collapse, the Chief Security officer, Micheal Joshua said the building began collapsing before his eyes.
I was close to the garden that is next to Ugo West building site. We saw the three story buikding coming down so people had to rush to rescue some of the workers beacuse there were more than eight people – four masons four labourers working on top of the building when it happened.
About eight people who sustained injuries were eva uated to the hospital while others were able to escape.
“Unfortunately, there was a young man , a mason who was lying down on the downstairs, we have not seen him, so we are suspecting that he is buried under the rubbles. But we are waiting for escavator to bring him out. “
A mason, Lawal Obaloluwere, a survivour speaking on hospital bed said. ” l was working when l saw the building collapsing and people running. One of the blocks fell on my hip, that’s what i can remember only to open my eyes on a hospital bed.”
A labourer who narrowly escaped unhurt, Ruben, Yakubu said that just stepped out to eat and on comming he saw the building collapsing and people shouting and scampering for safety. He said that the incident happened within a thirty minis interval after he went to eat.
Narrating in pigin english, Yakubu said, ” this thing just happen afyer 30 minutes wen i sit to eat ooo.”
One survivour, 16 year old David Gavenoruo, who works as a labourer at the building was trapped but was rescued.
David who now appears to be stable at the time of this interview said, “I was taking water upstairs before i was hit by blocks. I was strucked in the rubbles for three hours before i was rescued and brought to this hospital.”
15 year old Barnabas Goodluck, a serving mason told Daybreak that he was suspended in the air before he found himself on the ground.
A medical personel at Nativity Hospital Emergency Ward who spoke on condition of annomity said, eight survivours were brought into the hospital , three people have been discharged , remaining five, two out of danger with one whose eyes was packed with sand and a swollen head hit by stone.
She disclosed that the victims remain in unstable condition as efforts continue to stabilise them.
At the 5:0 pm this evening there was no escavator on ground to rescue the body of the suspected trapped victim.
A Red Cross First Response Team memeber, Musa Samuel said they got response through a.colleague playing ball close the the collapsed building.
“One trapped in the house but many have been taken to the hospital. We are suspecting that one person is trapped , so we are still waiting for an escavator”, Samuel said.
On ground at the scene were emergency responders which include the police, NEMA, NSCDC Disaster Management Rescue, and Road Saftey Corps.
However, residents in the area have expressed shock over the incident, calling for urgent investigations into the cause of the collapse and stricter enforcement of building regulations to prevent future occurrences.
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