The Enugu State Government has confirmed that four people were rescued from a collapsed hotel construction site in the Independence Layout area of Enugu State, while one other person is feared dead.

The four-storey building reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, prompting emergency responders to commence rescue operations at about 6am.

Uche Anya, Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), said a security guard informed authorities that six people had slept inside the uncompleted building before the incident. However, one person had reportedly left the premises before the collapse.

According to Anya, four victims were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment, while rescue workers continued searching the rubble for another possible victim.

He disclosed that the building was approved in 2021, before the current administration, but subsequent inspections by the ECTDA uncovered what he described as serious structural integrity issues and violations of the approved plan.

Anya said he personally issued the first stop-work order, adding that the site had been sealed by the agency for about six months because of the violations.

He further revealed that the representative of the building's owner, who reportedly resides abroad, had been engaging with the agency for between 30 and 40 days over the violations. The representative was subsequently handed over to the police to assist with investigations.

Okwudiri Oha, Director of the Enugu State Fire Service, said four people were initially rescued, with two sustaining minor injuries. He added that another person was later recovered from the rubble and taken to a health facility to ascertain his condition.

Oha commended the Red Cross, ECTDA, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Ambulance Services, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for their swift response.

He said the availability of bulldozers, excavators and other rescue equipment significantly aided the operation.

Meanwhile, Chinasa Mbah, Executive Secretary of Enugu SEMA, said rescue operations would continue until the entire site had been excavated to ensure that no survivor or body remained trapped under the rubble.