Rescue teams dig through rubble of three-storey lodge near Federal Polytechnic Oko
At least three people are feared dead after a three-storey student hostel collapsed late Sunday in Oko, Anambra State, with rescue operations continuing into Monday.
Local sources told reporters that three bodies had been recovered from the debris of the Elite Five Star Lodge, located beside Tonimas Filling Station in the Amokpala area of Orumba North Local Government Area. The Anambra State Police Command has not yet officially confirmed the fatalities.
The building, which housed students from the nearby Federal Polytechnic Oko, caved in after a loud bang was heard, triggering panic as residents and students rushed to the scene.
Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said a joint security team, including the state fire service and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), immediately mobilised after receiving a distress call.
“The Anambra State Police-led joint security team assures ongoing rescue operations following the late-night incident on Sunday, 26th July 2026, involving the collapse of a three-storey building known as Elite Five Star Lodge,” Ikenga stated.
He added that some injured victims had been rescued and taken to a hospital in Oko, but the number of those still trapped or affected could not yet be confirmed.
“The Command notes that rescue operations are ongoing to reach other persons who may still be trapped as the number of casualties or affected persons cannot yet be confirmed,” Ikenga said.
Police urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay away from the site to allow emergency responders unrestricted access. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
