The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has recovered the body of one male victim from the rubble of a collapsed four-storey uncompleted building in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
The building collapsed at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, prompting an immediate emergency response coordinated by NEMA in collaboration with relevant state and security agencies.
According to a statement by Manzo Ezekiel of the NEMA Press Unit, the agency’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, directed the Enugu Operations Office to deploy an Emergency Rescue Team to the scene and coordinate search and rescue efforts.
Upon arrival, responders were informed that some persons were trapped beneath the rubble, leading to the immediate commencement of search and rescue operations.
An excavator was also mobilised to assist in the painstaking removal of debris and facilitate access to possible survivors trapped under the collapsed structure.
As of 11:20 a.m., the joint rescue team had recovered the lifeless body of one male victim from the debris.
NEMA said rescue operations were still ongoing as emergency responders continued to search through the rubble to determine whether other victims remained trapped beneath the collapsed building.
The agency is coordinating the operation alongside 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.
The ongoing operation is focused on thoroughly clearing the debris while searching for any additional victims who may be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
