At least five people have been confirmed dead and 10 others rescued alive after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Durumi 3 area, near Gudu Market in Abuja.

The structure, located around Gaduwa Estate in the Gudu district, crumbled in the early hours, trapping construction workers and passersby beneath tons of concrete and twisted metal. Residents said the building had been under construction for months and was frequently busy with labourers working late into the night.

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration confirmed the incident, saying emergency operations were immediately activated once distress calls were received. Rescue teams from the Federal Fire Service, FCT Emergency Management Agency, security agencies, health workers and local volunteers converged on the site, using excavators, cutting tools and bare hands to dig through the rubble.

Officials said 10 survivors were pulled out and rushed to nearby hospitals, while the bodies of five victims were recovered. The exact number of people still trapped remains unclear, as responders continue to cross-check site records with accounts from co-workers and relatives.

The FCT Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, who visited the scene, said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had ordered that all casualties receive free medical treatment. She added that public hospitals in the territory had been placed on alert to receive additional victims.

Dr Fasawe described the rescue conditions as extremely challenging, citing unstable debris, narrow access routes and the risk of further collapse. Despite this, teams worked in shifts under floodlights, pausing intermittently to listen for voices or movement beneath the wreckage.

Witnesses recounted hearing a loud crack before the building gave way, sending up a cloud of dust visible from adjoining streets. Some residents and workers rushed in before official responders arrived, using makeshift tools to pull out the first victims.

Questions are already being raised about possible structural defects, poor supervision and non-compliance with building regulations. FCT authorities have indicated that an investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the collapse and identify those responsible.

As night fell, anxious relatives remained at the perimeter of the cordoned-off site, waiting for news while excavators and rescue workers continued the painstaking search for anyone still alive beneath the ruins.