One person dead, many trapped as building falls in Rivers State

Several people, including a site engineer and a contractor, are trapped under the rubble of a five-storey building that collapsed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The building was still being constructed when it fell on Wednesday. Emergency responders are working hard to rescue anyone who might still be alive.

The collapse happened along Peter Odili Road in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, around 9 a.m. Witnesses reported panic among residents and workers nearby.

By Wednesday night, reports from News Central TV stated that three people had been rescued from the rubble.

Rescue teams are still looking for others believed to be trapped under the collapsed building.

One body has been found in the debris. Medical authorities had not yet confirmed the death, but community members identified the victim as one of their own and took the body for burial.

Emergency responders, including officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), are coordinating the rescue efforts at the scene.

In a live report from News Central TV, a NEMA official said that rescue workers would stay on site until all trapped victims are found.

“We will be here until all the bodies are recovered,” the official stated in the footage.

Rescue workers remain hopeful that more survivors could be found.

A Red Cross official mentioned that emergency teams are optimistic about rescuing more victims alive as they access parts of the rubble that have not yet been reached.

The situation became more intense when a News Central reporter at the site heard cries for help from a woman thought to be trapped under the debris around 4 p.m.

The reporter noted that excavation work stopped when the cries were heard. However, rescue officials later stated that thorough checks in that section did not find anyone trapped.

Residents near the collapsed building estimated there were at least 20 workers inside. With three rescued and one confirmed dead, at least 16 people could still be in the rubble.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes as worried relatives, residents, and onlookers gathered while rescue teams searched for survivors.

There are also questions about whether the building followed approved construction guidelines.

According to the News Central TV report, authorities had only approved a three-storey building for that site, but construction had reached five storeys, with plans for a sixth floor when the collapse happened.

PREMIUM TIMES could not verify this claim, and government officials had not commented on the issue by the time of this report.

The contractor managing the project was also reported to be among those trapped.

Heavy machinery was brought in to help with the rescue. Although six excavators and other equipment were on site, only one was being used to clear debris during the broadcast.

The official cause of the collapse has not been determined yet.

Authorities had not released a formal statement about the incident as rescue efforts continued late into Wednesday night.

There are growing public concerns about the frequency of building collapses in Nigeria.