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SECOND DISASTER IN 24 HRS: Muftwang Orders Closure Of School As Occupants Escape Death In Abuja Building Collapse
Less than 24 hours after 22 people died following the collapse of a school building in Jos, four persons were feared dead in a similar incident, yesterday, in Abuja.
The Abuja incident, which involved a two-storey residential apartment, took place in Kubwa, Abuja’s largest suburban town.
At the time of the collapse, which was estimated to be 6:30am and when professional rescue came at 9:15 am, several people were trapped in the rubble.
Personnel of Federal Fire Service who were the first responders at the site were seen trying to activate other emergency and security services.
Sunday journalist gathered that the building located beside the popular Cupid Hotel on Cupid Road ,Sultan Dasuki Way, in Bwari Area Council, was formerly a hotel, Al-Halal.
It later became a hospital but since the hospital owners quit the premises, it was converted into a residential apartment with about 45 self-contained rooms.
While emergency responders and security personnel were on ground, rescue efforts were however slow as equipment needed for the rescue did not arrive until exactly 9:15am, nearly three hours after the incident.
While two persons were initially rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, many others were said to have escaped on their own.
Also, apart from a lady who moved out of the apartment on Friday, some of the occupants escaped the incident as they had gone out for early morning activities.
One of the survivors, who did not want to reveal her identity, said when she woke up some minutes before 7am and came out of her section of the building, she began hearing some cracks and ran out.
Most of those who escaped were those on the upper floors while those on the ground floor were largely trapped.
The incident, however, took a dramatic twist when some occupants of the building said another female occupant was still in her room as her boyfriend had fled at the first signs of the cracks.
The lady was later brought out by emergency responders and was treated for some bruises.
Meanwhile, Federal Capital Territory FCT Emergency Management Department, FEMD, said it was notified of the incident by passers-by and also received a distress call on the 112 emergency toll free number at 6:45am
Head, Public Affairs at the department, Nkechi Isa, said two of the four rescued victims were immediately taken to the Kubwa General Hospital.
She said: “Efforts are ongoing to search for any other person that may be trapped in the collapsed building.”
Similarly, the Acting Director General of FEMD, Mrs Florence Dawon Wenegieme, who was also at the scene, said search and rescue efforts would continue until the last person is removed.
She appealed to developers to adhere to building code and avoid the use of substandard materials.
Jos collapsed school
In a related development, Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, ordered the immediate closure of the collapsed Saint Academy, Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state.
He gave the order during an on-the-spot assessment at the site of the incident.
The school has 284 Secondary students and 145 Primary pupils. Its structure collapsed on Friday morning, killing 22 persons and leaving 154 others injured.
So far, 154 people have been rescued from the debris, 22 individuals have been confirmed dead and 132 hospitalised.
The governor directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritise the treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment.
Mutfwang also commiserated with the family of the deceased children and promised that the state government would bear the cost of the treatment of the injured students.
He said: “Whoever built this school did not do well. I am not a technical person but all I can see on this debris is sand. It is a two-storey building. As a layman, I know there has to be a proper mixture of sand and cement but what I can see here is pure sand.
“You have endangered the lives of innocent children for no reason. We can’t continue like this, it is no longer time to spend time praying against demons and satan, this is human negligence.
“We cannot allow this school to function for the parents. It is unfortunate what has happened but what it means is that this school is closed down immediately.
“We can’t take any further chances and we need to send this message, particularly to the owners of private schools, the drive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives. So we are taking steps immediately to do a technical audit of all the schools. We will test their structural integrity to ensure human beings can habit such buildings.”