The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, has clarified that no student of the institution died in the collapse of the Elite Five Star Hostel in Amaokpala, near the polytechnic, in Orumba North Local Government Area, Peak Newspaper reports.
The building, which collapsed on Sunday night, was reportedly a privately owned lodge occupied by both students and non-students.
In a statement on Monday, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Oguegbu Udoka, said no student of the polytechnic had been confirmed dead in the incident.
He explained that the two persons believed to be trapped under the rubble were not students of the institution, adding that most students had already left the campus after completing their second-semester examinations.
Udoka said the Rector of the institution, Dr Chioma Awuzie, visited the scene on Monday morning alongside other school officials to assess the situation, while officials of the Anambra State Government also joined the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency has sealed off the collapsed building as rescue operations continue.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Ndidi Omega, confirmed that the lifeless body of a female victim had been recovered from the rubble.
She added that the body of a young man was still trapped beneath the debris, while three injured victims had been rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Emergency workers deployed heavy-duty excavators and other equipment to clear the debris and search for possible survivors, as security personnel cordoned off the area to facilitate rescue operations.
The polytechnic management urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that its students were among the fatalities, assuring that it would continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the rescue operation progresses.
