A three-storey student hostel collapsed on Sunday night in the town of Oko, in the Orumba North local government area of Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria, trapping a yet-to-be-confirmed number of occupants. Rescue operations were under way at the site as emergency teams worked to reach anyone still buried in the debris.
According to the account carried by Channels Television, the building that came down was a lodge used to house students, identified as the Elite Five Star Lodge, located in the Amokwala area of Oko. The structure caved in during the night, catching occupants inside.
As rescue efforts continued, emergency teams recovered the body of a female student from the rubble. Her death was the first fatality confirmed at the scene as workers combed through the collapsed structure.
Officials also confirmed that the remains of a male student had been located beneath the debris, although they had not yet been retrieved at the time of the report. Rescue teams were working to reach the spot where the second body was found.
The exact number of people who were inside the hostel when it collapsed remained unclear, with officials describing the figure as yet to be confirmed. Search and rescue operations were still ongoing, raising fears that more occupants could be trapped under the rubble.
The incident was confirmed by the police public relations officer, as emergency and rescue teams remained deployed at the site. Efforts to recover those still unaccounted for and to establish the full toll of the collapse were continuing.