The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has taken charge of the emergency response to the collapse of a four-storey uncompleted building at Independence Layout, Enugu State, with the body of one male victim recovered from the rubble.
The incident occurred at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, prompting the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, to immediately direct the agency’s Enugu Operations Office to deploy an Emergency Rescue Team to the scene and coordinate the rescue operation with relevant stakeholders.
According to a statement signed and issued by the Press Unit of NEMA Headquarters, Manzo Ezekiel, responders were informed on arrival that some persons might be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
The rescue team immediately commenced search and rescue operations, while an excavator was mobilised to facilitate the painstaking removal of debris and access possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
As of 11:20 a.m., the joint rescue team had recovered the lifeless body of one male victim from the collapsed building.
NEMA said rescue operations remain ongoing as emergency responders continue to search through the debris to determine whether other victims are still trapped beneath the rubble.
The operation is being coordinated by NEMA in collaboration with the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nigeria Police Force, Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority, and the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
