7 dead in building collapse in Nigeria

At least seven people were killed after a building collapsed in the Sabon-Lugbe district of Abuja, Nigeria, over the weekend, according to police.

Abuja police said “the building had already been partially demolished, and its structure was further compromised by scavengers looking for scrap metal.”

Abuja police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said five people were rescued from the rubble on Sunday.

Building collapses are becoming increasingly common in Nigeria, with more than a dozen such incidents recorded in the past two years. Authorities often blame the disasters for lacking enforcement of building safety regulations and poor maintenance.

“Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, recorded 22 building collapses between January and July this year,” according to the Council for Engineering Regulation in Nigeria.