Abuja, Nigeria - October 27, 2024

At least seven people have been killed after a building collapsed in a suburb of the Nigerian capital Abuja on Saturday evening, leaving several people trapped under the rubble.

The incident occurred at a demolished estate in Sabon Lugbe on the outskirts of Abuja, while many people were said to be inside looking to retrieve items from the site. Witnesses said that it took several hours for help to arrive for those caught up in the tragedy.

The majority of the 40 trapped people who were at the location have since been rescued, but rescuers confirmed that several others have lost their lives, while other victims have been taken to receive medical treatment.

Local authorities have been systematically demolishing buildings at this estate, reportedly not due to structural defects, but because they don't fit the city's masterplan, with this area said to have been earmarked for the construction of an access road.

These demolition sites have become a gold mine for scavengers, who swarm in to salvage valuable materials from the ruins as they look to make a profit from the destruction of these buildings.

Nigeria has witnessed several building collapses in recent years, claiming numerous lives and leaving many injured or homeless. The crisis has drawn attention to the widespread problem of substandard construction practices, corruption, and regulatory failures among others.

Nigeria's Ministry of Works and Housing has pledged to implement stricter regulations and improve oversight of the construction sector to avoid similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Shotlist:
Abuja, Nigeria - Oct 27, 2024:
1. Various of rescuers, excavator working at site of collapse;
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulrahman Mohammed, director general, Federal Emergency Management Agency:
"We have concluded the operation of rescue, at the site of the rescue operation, we have concluded it. So the only people that died, they are the ones that died yesterday night when the [building] collapsed on them and they are seven of them in total. Then two are in the hospital.";
3. People, vehicles working at demolition site;
4. Ambulance, police car;
5. Various of derelict house, sign of demolition on wall;
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bashir Anate, eyewitness (partially overlaid with shot 7):
"I saw one of the victims, one of the people, although the guy didn't die, he fell from the building and then went to the other building across there that was where he now died. So he went there to climb another building in order for him to pick iron. So the building collapsed again and hit him. That was when happened. That was the one I saw myself yesterday.";
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
7. People at demolition site;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
8. Various of people, excavator working at demolition site.

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