Rescue efforts have intensified at the scene of the collapsed three-storey Elite Five Star Lodge in Amokpala, Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, where emergency responders have recovered the body of a female believed to be a student.
Officials also confirmed that the body of a young man, also suspected to be a student, has been located beneath the rubble but has yet to be retrieved, as rescue teams continue painstaking efforts to clear the debris.
The building, which collapsed late Sunday night, reportedly housed several students and other occupants.
A combined rescue team comprising the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies and operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achi has remained at the scene.
Emergency workers are using heavy-duty excavators and specialised equipment to carefully remove the rubble in a coordinated search for anyone who may still be trapped, while taking precautions to ensure the safety of rescue personnel.
The atmosphere around the site remains tense, with anxious residents, students and sympathisers gathering as the operation continues.
Security operatives have cordoned off the area to prevent interference and provide emergency responders with unrestricted access, while officials work to account for everyone who was inside the building before it collapsed.
Confirming the latest development, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs. Ndidi Omega, said the female victim had been recovered, while the body of the young man remained trapped beneath the debris. She added that three injured victims were rescued earlier and taken to hospital for treatment.
Omega said rescue operations would continue until every section of the collapsed structure had been thoroughly searched.
The police also appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and allow emergency teams to carry out their work without obstruction, assuring that further updates would be provided as more details emerge.
