A one-story warehouse has collapsed in the Sabon Gari neighbourhood of Minna, leaving many people trapped inside and resulting in numerous deaths.
However, no fatalities had been reported at the time of the report, according to a statement from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), which verified the building collapse.
It was discovered that when the warehouse collapsed, more than fifty individuals were inside as two trailer loads of soft drinks were being offloaded.
The incident happened at the crowded Kasuwan Gwari Market on Friday.
An eyewitness who was at the scene of the incident, Aliyu Umaru said, immediately the building collapsed, concerned Nigerians rallied around the building to help to rescue the injured and trapped.
“Many people were trapped in the building. Some were pulled out dead while some seriously injured ones were rushed to hospital. Their condition was critical. One particular victim was panting for his life as he was being carried to the hospital. I doubt if he will survive,” the eyewitness said.
Umaru revealed that the building was a residential building which the owner, a Kano State indigene converted into a warehouse without effecting any amendments to suit a warehouse.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency NSEMA confirmed the building collapsed in a statement but added that at the time of the report, there were no deaths.
Director General of NSEMA Abdullahi Baba-Arah who confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday night, said the building would be demolished.
Baba-Arah also said no approval was received for the conversion of the building from a residential property to a warehouse.
“NSEMA received a distress call at 3:15 pm. of a building collapse at Sabon Gari area of Minna. The agency quickly alerted responding agencies for search and rescue operations.
“The search and rescue operations were conducted under the leadership of NSEMA, NEMA, State Urban Development Board, and State Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the Federal Fire service, The police, NSCDC, NDLEA, The Redcross, Vigilant groups and some volunteers.
“As at the time of filing this report, no life was lost, 5 people were rescued with various degrees of injuries, while 2 people escaped unhurt. An excavator was brought in to help in clearing the debris for possible entrapment, NEMA also brought life-dictating gadgets, but after intensive search efforts lasting for about 3 hours, no one was trapped,” Baba-Arah said.
