Survivors of the three-storey student hostel that collapsed near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, have shared harrowing accounts of how they narrowly escaped death after hearing loud cracking sounds moments before the building gave way.
The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, a 100-room student hostel located in Amaokpala, Orumba North Local Government Area, collapsed on Sunday night, trapping several occupants beneath the rubble.
Emergency responders recovered two bodies—a male and a female—during rescue operations on Monday, while three other victims were rescued alive and taken to hospital for treatment. By Tuesday, however, rescue activities had ceased at the site despite earlier indications that operations would continue.
Survivors Describe Terrifying Moments
One of the survivors, Chinyere, who spoke from her hospital bed, said she had been living on the second floor of the hostel since March and never noticed any visible signs that the building was unsafe.
According to her, panic erupted after loud cracking noises echoed through the structure late Sunday night.
“There was no warning until we suddenly heard the walls cracking. People started shouting, and neighbours rushed in to help. I ran to the balcony and jumped from the second floor. I don’t even remember how I landed. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital,” she recalled.
Another survivor, Grace Nweke, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, said residents received a warning shortly before the collapse.
She explained that around 10 p.m., a food vendor living in the building alerted occupants through a WhatsApp group after noticing fresh cracks in the walls.
“Before many of us realised how serious the situation was, the building started making loud cracking sounds and everyone ran for safety,” she said.
Nweke disclosed that she later learnt previous tenants had allegedly been asked to vacate the property because it was considered unsafe, but the building was reportedly rented out again to unsuspecting students.
Victim Misses Collapse While Visiting Friends
Another resident, Joseph Udo, escaped the tragedy after leaving the hostel earlier to visit friends.
He said he received a distress call informing him that the building had collapsed and rushed back to find the entire structure reduced to rubble.
“My generator and every other valuable I had were buried under the debris,” he said.
Udo also revealed that one of the deceased, a young woman, was reportedly preparing for her wedding next month after graduating from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, last year.
Government Says Building Had Been Marked for Demolition
The Deputy Director of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ndidi Omega, described the incident as avoidable, revealing that the hostel had already been marked for demolition before the collapse.
She stressed that buildings declared structurally unsafe should never remain occupied, warning that failure to enforce demolition directives often results in preventable tragedies.
Anambra Government Announces Tougher Building Safety Measures
In response to the disaster, the Anambra State Government has approved stricter enforcement of building regulations, including the prosecution of government officials and engineers found negligent in cases of structural failure.
The announcement was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, following the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
According to the statement, the government has also directed that structural integrity tests be conducted on mass housing developments and student hostels across the state to prevent future building collapses.
Officials said the new measures are aimed at strengthening compliance with building standards, improving public safety, and ensuring that both private and public structures meet approved engineering requirements.
