By Sarah NEGEDU
A 25-year-old labourer has died following the collapse of a building foundation wall at an excavation site within the premises of Radio House, Area 8, Garki, Abuja.
The incident, which occurred around 5:50pm on Monday, left two workers trapped under the rubble. One of them was rescued alive, while the other sustained fatal injuries.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Tuesday, Head of Public Affairs of the FCT Emergency Management Department, FEMD, Nkechi Isa, said the incident occurred while the workers were digging about seven feet underground as part of the building foundation.
She explained that the prompt response of the Federal Fire Service and the FEMD Search and Rescue Team helped in pulling out the trapped victims.
According to her, “The FCT Emergency Management Department FEMD has commiserated with the family of the victim of a building foundation collapse at an excavation site within the Radio House,Area 8 Garki.
“The incident which occurred at about 5.50pm yesterday, claimed the life of a 25 year old man who was one of the labourers at the site.”
Similarly, the Head of FEMD’s Search and Rescue Team, Mr. Monday Adie, noted that the wall caved in on the workers while they were excavating. “Two people were trapped in the rubble. While one was rescued alive, the other person was fatally injured,” he said.
Reacting to the tragedy, the Acting Director-General of FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, commiserated with the family of the deceased and warned developers against ignoring basic safety standards on construction sites.
He stressed that the involvement of professionals was critical in preventing such disasters, urging builders to shun quacks and adhere strictly to safety regulations.
Mohammed also reminded residents to call the 112 emergency toll-free line whenever disaster strikes.
