By Omeiza Ajayi & Marie-Therese Nanlong
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 Vanguard 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.
