A four-storey building under construction in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State collapsed on Wednesday morning, trapping several workers beneath the rubble and sparking a major rescue operation. The incident occurred just 48 hours after a three-storey building collapsed in the Rumuolumeni area of the city, raising serious concerns about building safety and regulatory oversight in the region. At least seven people were initially reported trapped, though rescue efforts led to the recovery of three survivors by Wednesday afternoon. One body has already been retrieved from the debris, while emergency responders continue to search for others.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes at the site, with one reporting seeing the head of a trapped victim protruding from the rubble, screaming “my legs, my legs,” as rescuers struggled to reach him. The site engineer overseeing the project was among those trapped, according to accounts from people present. The collapse has drawn swift response from multiple agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, and the Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Amairigha Edward Hart. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Fire Service, Nigerian Red Cross Society, and ambulances from the Ministry of Health are all actively involved in the rescue and medical response.
Oladimeji Taiwo, a carpenter who worked on the site and narrowly escaped the collapse, revealed that the site engineer had warned workers about the building’s instability just minutes before it gave way. Taiwo, who had noticed visible cracks in the structure’s walls, said he was outside the building when it collapsed. He estimated that between eight and ten people were inside at the time. “I have spent six months in this place. All what I have is inside here with my phone,” Taiwo said, appealing for help for his colleagues still trapped. His account adds weight to growing concerns about poor construction standards and lack of safety protocols in urban development projects.
The incident underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of building regulations and regular inspections in Nigeria’s fast-growing cities. With rescue operations still ongoing, authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the collapse and identify those responsible. As the search continues, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of negligence in construction and the importance of accountability in urban development.
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