A building collapsed in the Sabon-Lugbe area of Abuja, Nigeria, over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least seven individuals, according to police reports on Monday.
The structure, which had already been partially demolished, was further weakened by scavengers searching for scrap metal, as stated by local police. Five people were rescued from the rubble on Sunday, according to police spokesperson Josephine Adeh.
Building collapses have become increasingly frequent in Nigeria, with over a dozen incidents reported in the past two years. Authorities often attribute these tragedies to inadequate enforcement of building safety regulations and poor maintenance practices.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has recorded 22 building collapses from January to July this year, according to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.
In a related incident in July, a two-story school in north-central Nigeria collapsed, leading to the deaths of 22 students. The tragedy occurred at Saints Academy college in the Busa Buji community of Plateau State shortly after students, many of whom were 15 years old or younger, arrived for classes.
