Abuja building collapse leaves five dead and 10 rescued as emergency teams continue search operations in Durumi

At least five persons have been confirmed dead following an Abuja building collapse in the Durumi 3 area near Gudu Market on Saturday morning, while emergency responders rescued 10 others alive from the rubble.

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The three-storey structure, which was still under construction, reportedly collapsed around the Gaduwa Estate axis of the Gudu district, triggering a massive emergency response operation involving rescue agencies, health officials and security personnel.

In a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, authorities confirmed the fatalities and ongoing rescue efforts.

“At least five persons have been confirmed dead while 10 others were rescued alive after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Durumi 3 area, near Gudu Market, Abuja, on Saturday morning,” the statement said.

The Abuja building collapse has raised fresh concerns over safety compliance and construction standards within rapidly developing districts of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the statement, emergency responders were still searching for additional victims feared trapped beneath the debris as of Saturday afternoon.

The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, who visited the scene, disclosed that the FCT minister had ordered immediate medical support for all victims affected by the incident.

Dr Fasawe stated that Nyesom Wike directed that all casualties receive free medical treatment as emergency teams intensified rescue and evacuation efforts.

She added that rescue workers were operating under difficult conditions while attempting to reach survivors trapped within the collapsed structure.

Officials of the Federal Fire Service, security agencies, medical personnel and local volunteers were seen combing through the wreckage in a determined effort to save lives.

Residents and traders around the busy Gudu Market area also gathered anxiously near the site as rescue operations continued.

The Abuja building collapse is the latest in a series of structural failures recorded in different parts of Nigeria in recent years, with experts repeatedly calling for stricter enforcement of building regulations and improved oversight of construction projects.

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Authorities have yet to disclose the possible cause of the collapse, while investigations into the incident are expected to commence after rescue operations are concluded.