The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has continued to coordinate intensive search and rescue operations following the collapse on Wednesday 24th June, 2026 of a six-storey building under construction along Dr. Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Immediately after receiving reports of the incident, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, activated the Agency’s emergency response mechanism, leading to the deployment of emergency responders to the scene in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders and response agencies.
As of Saturday, 27th June, 2026, the NEMA response team, led by the Head of the Agency’s Port Harcourt Operations Office, Mr. Chidi Ogundu, has remained at the incident site, coordinating operations and working closely with other emergency response agencies to sustain the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Rescue teams have continued to painstakingly search through the debris in an effort to locate and rescue any persons who may still be trapped beneath the rubble, while maintaining strict safety measures for emergency personnel due to the unstable condition of the collapsed structure.
The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, visited the incident site on Thursday to assess the situation firsthand and receive operational briefings from emergency responders.
During the visit, the Governor commiserated with the families of the affected victims and expressed appreciation to NEMA and other emergency responders for their commitment and professionalism.
To further strengthen operational coordination, a strategic stakeholders’ meeting was convened at the incident site with representatives of relevant government institutions, including the Federal Housing Authority, the Rivers State Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning, and other technical officials to review operational priorities and safety measures.
Rescue operations have been complicated by the unstable condition of the building’s elevator shaft, which poses a significant structural risk to emergency responders. Consequently, the deployment of a heavy-duty crane by Julius Berger Construction Company is ongoing to safely dismantle the compromised structure and facilitate the continuation of search and rescue operations.
NEMA reassures the public that it remains fully committed to supporting the ongoing multi-agency response and will continue search and rescue operations in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders until every reasonable possibility has been exhausted.
27th June, 2026
