Enugu Building Collapse: Four Rescued as One Person Feared Dead at Sealed Hotel Site

Four people have been rescued after a partially collapsed four-storey hotel construction site in Independence Layout, Enugu, while one other person is feared dead.

The building reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, prompting a coordinated rescue operation involving emergency agencies, security personnel and construction equipment deployed to the scene.

Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency, ECTDA, Barrister Uche Anya, said the property had been sealed by the state government after officials discovered serious structural integrity concerns and violations of its approved building plans.

Anya said the building was originally approved in 2021, before the current administration, but subsequent inspections allegedly revealed significant non-compliance. He said he personally issued the first stop-work order, after which the site was sealed about six months ago.

According to him, six people were believed to have slept inside the uncompleted building before the collapse, although one of them had reportedly left before the incident. Four people were initially rescued and taken to hospital, while emergency workers continued searching for the remaining person.

Anya said the representative of the property owner, who was said to be based abroad, had been engaging the authorities over the past month to address the regulatory concerns. He added that the representative had been handed over to the police to assist with the investigation.

Director of the Enugu State Fire Service, Engr. Okwudiri Oha, said the swift mobilisation of the Red Cross, SEMA, ECTDA, Enugu State Ambulance Services, NEMA, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps helped save the four people. He said two of those rescued sustained minor injuries and were taken to a health facility for further assessment.

NEMA Information Officer in Enugu, Ezeani Nnanyelugo, confirmed that six people were believed to have been on the site, with one absent when the building collapsed. He said the four rescued victims had been stabilised before a body was later recovered from the wreckage and taken to hospital for confirmation of whether the person was still alive.

SEMA Executive Secretary, Chinasa Mbah, said rescue teams would continue excavating the entire wreckage to ensure that no survivor or body was left behind.

The incident has renewed concerns over compliance with building regulations and the risks posed by construction sites that remain occupied despite regulatory warnings and sealing orders