A four-storey building under construction collapsed in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Saturday.
The building, which is located at Iman Street, off Aka Road in the capital city, fell on another building next to it.
Eyewitnesses and residents of the area who spoke to Channels Television said the incident happened at about 6 pm.
There are strong indications that some of the people who were working inside the building are still trapped in the rubble.
Officers of the state fire service commenced rescue operations about two hours after the incident.
This is the first building collapse in Uyo since the Reigners Church incident in December 2016.
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Building collapse is common in parts of Nigeria, especially the urban centres. Saturday’s incident comes weeks after another structure collapsed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. Two persons died in the incident.
Enforcement of safety regulations and the use of shoddy materials have been highlighted since November last year after a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi district of Lagos, killing at least 45 people.
Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos, according to a South African university researcher investigating construction disasters.
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for improved construction standards, describing the frequent building collapses as “increasingly embarrassing”.
