Panic gripped residents of Jikwoyi in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday after a hotel building under construction, identified as Ugo West Hotel, collapsed, leaving several persons feared trapped beneath the debris.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, drew a crowd of residents and passersby who rushed to the scene in a desperate bid to rescue victims before the arrival of emergency responders.
Eyewitnesses said the structure suddenly caved in without warning, burying construction workers and others present at the site under heaps of rubble.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of casualties and those trapped remained uncertain, raising fears that the toll could be significant.
Local volunteers had commenced frantic rescue efforts, manually clearing debris in search of survivors, while calls intensified for urgent intervention by relevant emergency agencies.
Officials are yet to issue a formal statement on the incident, and the cause of the collapse remains unknown as investigations are expected to commence.
More details later.