Many students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) have been trapped following the collapse of a building in Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday morning.
The incident happened during a downpour on Ekhator Street, Ekosodin, an area popular with students.
One eyewitness said the building had been a single-storey structure for years but was recently undergoing renovation with the addition of two more floors.
“The owner wanted to make more money since houses are now like diamonds in Ekosodin. The building’s foundation and structure were not designed to support the added floors, leading to the collapse. It’s like building a tower of Babylon,” the witness said.
Though the university management had yet to issue an official statement in respect of the development, rescue operations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
A student who lives in the area said the building failed amidst a downpour that started from Friday night to Saturday morning in Benin.
“The building gave in when the rain became too much this morning. The rain started since yesterday night. As you can see, rescue operations are still ongoing. There is a belief that some victims are still trapped inside,” he said.
When contacted, SP Moses Yamu, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Edo confirmed the incident.
“Rescue operations are still ongoing and until that is concluded, we cannot confirm whether there are death casualties or not. As soon as I have the report, we will let you know,” he said.
According to eyewitnesses, a university rescue team swiftly responded to the scene, managing to extract some of the trapped occupants. However, several students were severely injured and rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
“The rescue team is still searching for one victim who remains trapped inside the rubble. It was reported that the victim called from inside the building, pleading for help, and efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue them,” the student said.
The Dean of Students from UNIBEN is currently at the scene, coordinating the rescue efforts alongside the university team.
