Kingsley U N Chikwendu —

It has been reported that dozens were rescued yesterday as a building collapsed in Gwarimpa, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

So far, there have been conflicting reports on the number of casualties.

Premium Times said one person died, while Vanguard revealed that two dead bodies were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed commercial building belonging to a private developer, situated along 6th Avenue.

“As at the time of collapse, the building was a frame structure with columns, suspended slabs in place, and some block works, an official of the Federal Housing Authority said.

“Preliminary findings revealed that an approval for two floors was granted to the developer who decided to add an extra floor to the structure.

“Rescue efforts are currently going on to save lives, with responses from all relevant agencies. A total of four people have been rescued from the rubble at the time of this release”, he added.

The FHA official said he hopes ongoing investigations would reveal immediate and remote causes of the collapse.

Gwarimpa Estate is a developed district, situated in Phase 3, is reported to be the largest estate in West Africa.

The mega housing estate consists of some of the most elegant architectural designs with a good network of roads and expensive houses.