7 rescued, as storey building filled with drinks collapses in Niger

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May 18, 2024

7 rescued, as storey building filled with drinks collapses in Niger

File image for illustration.

By Wole Misadomi, Minna

There was pandemonium in Sabon Gari area, Minna, Niger state capital Saturday afternoon, as a storey building suddenly collapsed.

However, there’s been no report of death at the time of filing this report.

But the suddenness of the incident sent residents of the densely-populated area and commercial centre jiltery as many ran helter-skelter.

About seven persons have been rescued with varying degrees of ìnjury.

Emergency responders

Already, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA; Niger State Urban Development Board; NEMA; State Environmental Protection Agency; the Police; Civil Defence Corps; NDLEA; Red Cross, and local vigilante members and other volunteer groups have been drafted to the scene on a rescue mission.

They were all working frantically at the scene.

A statement from NSEMA confirmed the incident.

It said, “Nsema received a distressed call at 3:15pm., of building collapse at Sabon Gari area of Minna. And the agency quickly alerted responding agencies for search and rescue operations.

“The search-and-rescue operations were conducted under the leadership of NSEMA, NEMA, State Urban Development Board, and State Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the Federal fire service, the Police, NSCDC, NDLEA, the Red Cross, vigilante groups and some volunteers.

“An excavator was brought in to help in clearing the debris for possible entrapment. NEMA also brought life dictecting gadgets.

“But after an intensive search for about three hours, no one was found trapped,” the statement added.

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Converted to warehouse

Vanguard reliably gathered that the storey building was initially for residential purposes and later converted to a warehouse.

“The warehouse was full to the brim with soft drinks of about 25 trucks, which overpowered the structure and led to its collapse.

“The owner has no approval for a change of purpose. And it was also poorly constructed with substandard materials,” NSEMA further stated.

Meanwhile, the State Urban Development Board has ordered for complete demolition of the structure, which will be effected tomorrow, Sunday.

Those who sustained injuries are now in the hospital recuperating