Abuja: Heavy casualties were feared as a storey-building collapsed at Apo Mechanic Village located in Nigeria's capital city Abuja on Wednesday morning, trapping an unconfirmed number of people, officials said.
Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Yushau Shuaib confirmed the incident to Xinhua via a text message, but could not give the exact number of people trapped in rubble. Only three victims have been rescued alive and taken to National Hospital in Abuja, he said.
"I cannot confirm the total number of casualties for now because local volunteers are still assisting us in rescue efforts," he said, adding that a number of people were still trapped in rubble.
A local volunteer at the site, Ifeanyi Nnadi, also said efforts were being made to bring out bodies of the victims trapped in rubble.
"As it is now, no one can rule out the probability of heavy casualties and we cannot explain the cause of the collapse," he added.
ANI
First Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 16:58