OKO, ANAMBRA STATE – Panic and confusion swept through the Federal Polytechnic Oko community in Anambra State after a three-storey private hostel accommodating students collapsed, leaving an unconfirmed number of occupants feared trapped beneath the debris.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, reportedly caved in late Sunday night in Amokpala, Oko, near the Tonimas Filling Station in Orumba North Local Government Area. The incident sent shockwaves through the student community as desperate cries for help were reportedly heard from beneath the rubble.
Eyewitnesses said residents, students and passers-by rushed to the scene immediately after the collapse in an effort to assist victims before emergency responders arrived.
A coordinated rescue operation was swiftly launched by personnel of the Anambra State Police Command, Anambra State Fire Service, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other emergency and security agencies. Search-and-rescue teams have been working tirelessly to locate and extricate anyone trapped inside the collapsed structure.
Several injured occupants were rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital in Oko for urgent medical treatment. However, authorities said the exact number of casualties and those still trapped could not immediately be confirmed as rescue operations were continuing at the time of reporting.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team promptly secured the area and coordinated emergency efforts to prevent further loss of life.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and keep away from the disaster scene to enable emergency workers to carry out rescue operations without obstruction.
The collapse has reignited concerns over the structural integrity of private hostels around tertiary institutions and renewed calls for stricter enforcement of building regulations, routine structural inspections and compliance with approved construction standards.
DASCENARIO reports that anxious parents, students and members of the public await further updates, rescue personnel continue combing through the debris in the hope of finding more survivors.
Authorities are expected to commence a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the collapse once rescue operations have been concluded.
