Tragedy struck in the Plaza area of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Saturday when a four-storey building collapsed on a bungalow on Akah Road, with some persons feared trapped.

It was gathered that the four-storey building was under construction when it caved in at about 6:30pm.

It was also learnt that those trapped could be occupants of the bungalow.

The National Emergency Management Agency, while confirming the incident, however, said four persons were brought out of the rubble alive during a search and rescue operation by its officials and others from the state fire service and the Federal Road Safety Corps.

It added that an excavator was received from a construction firm to assist with the search for the occupants.

“Yes, the information is correct. I got information that at about 6:30 this (Saturday) evening, a four-storey building under construction Behind Zenith Bank by Plaza in Uyo collapsed on a bungalow,” NEMA’s Zonal Coordinator for the South-South region, Godwin Tepikor, told our correspondent on the phone.

“The information is that some persons have been trapped under the bungalow. Immediately, I activated the Akwa Ibom emergency management agency and other critical stakeholders. So, rescue efforts are ongoing as I speak.

“We can’t give detail now until the rescue operation is over, before we can begin to say emphatically what really happened and whether people were actually trapped or not. Four persons have so far been rescued alive. As we get more information, we will continue to update you,” he added.