The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has coordinated a multi-agency rescue operation following the collapse of a four-storey uncompleted building at Independence Layout in Enugu State, with the body of one male victim recovered from the rubble.
Confirming the report, Head of Press Unit NEMA HQ, Manzo Ezekiel said the building collapsed at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, prompting the immediate deployment of an Emergency Rescue Team by NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar.
The team, from NEMA’s Enugu Operations Office, arrived at the scene after receiving reports that several persons might be trapped beneath the debris and commenced search and rescue operations.
An excavator was subsequently mobilised to facilitate the painstaking removal of the rubble as emergency responders searched for possible survivors and additional victims.
As of 11:20 a.m., the joint rescue team had recovered the lifeless body of one male victim from the collapsed structure.
Rescue operations remained ongoing as responders continued to comb the debris to determine whether other persons were still trapped beneath the rubble.
The operation is being coordinated by NEMA in collaboration with 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 coordinated response underscores the authorities’ efforts to ensure the rapid deployment of emergency resources while sustaining search and rescue operations at the site.
NEMA said further updates would be provided as the operation progresses.
