By Miriam Humbe
The FCT Emergency Management Department, (FEMD), has dismissed as untrue media reports that 40 persons were trapped in the rubble of a building which collapsed yesterday at Sabon Lugbe, along the Airport Road in the FCT.
FEMD therefore clarified that the said structure located at Gidash Estate was one of the buildings earmarked for removal by the Department of Development Control.
This was contained in a statement signed on Sunday by FEMD’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa.
The Ag. Director General of FEMD, Engr Abdulrahman Mohammed said that seven persons who were scavenging for iron rods and other building materials lost their lives in the process.
“What happened is that the structure was marked for removal by development control. So these boys taking advantage of the fact that there would be no demolition exercise at Weekend, moved in to strip the iron rods in the pillar holding up the building leading to the unfortunate incident”, he said.
Engr Abdulrahman also stated that the Chairman Miyetti Allah, FCT chapter, Mohammed Hussein confirmed to FEMD that 5 members of the association were removed dead from the rubble.
Seven other persons were rescued alive from the rubble of the collapsed building.
Meanwhile, FEMD has called off its search and rescue, after excavation of the incident site revealed that there were no persons trapped in the rubble.
The FEMD boss has appealed to scavengers to shun demolition sites and allow the FCTA carryout the removal of structures to avert a re-occurrence of the incident .
He called on FCT residents to always use the 112 toll-free emergency number in the event of a disaster.
