Fred Itua, Abuja
The Search and Rescue team of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has recovered bodies of two construction workers from the rubbles of a collapsed fence of an estate in Gudu District area of Abuja.
It was gathered that the developer was rebuilding a retaining wall of a collapsed fence. While site workers were excavating the foundation of the fence and due to the pressure of the soil from an existing German floor, the fence collapsed and crashed on the two construction workers.
Responding to newsmen at the scene of the incident, the head, Search and Rescue (FEMA), Mr. Moses Oyegun, stated that the FEMA team arrived at the scene of the incident after receiving a report from 112 emergency number and were informed by an eyewitness of the two site workers trapped in the rubbles of the collapsed fence.
He added that the team excavated the rubbles and rescued the two injured persons who were immediately taken to the Asokoro Hospital, where doctors confirmed them dead.
While sympathising with the victims of the incident, the Director-General of FEMA urged developers to desist from practices that could lead to accidents and loss of lives, around the FCT and environs.
According to him, some disaster and accidents can be averted if necessary precautionary procedures are followed.
“If the initial exiting fence collapse was reported to the necessary authority, perhaps the developer would have got some professional advice and supervision that would have averted these losses,” he said.
He called on relevant agencies to follow up and ascertain the reason for the initial collapse of the existing fence and to check if the standard building materials were used for the construction.
The bodies that were identified as Haruna Halilu and Nasiru Aliyu, have since been handed over to the families by the police for burial.