A three-storey students' hostel collapsed in Oko late Sunday evening, trapping an unknown number of people beneath the rubble. The building, known as Elite Five Star Lodge, sits beside Tonimas Filling Station in the Amokpala area near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Rescue teams mobilised quickly to the scene following the July 26, 2026 incident. Volunteers, police operatives, firefighters, and officials from the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency worked through the night to clear debris and locate survivors.
Workers have already pulled some victims from the wreckage and rushed them to a hospital in Oko. The medical facility began treating the injured as emergency responders continued their search for more people trapped under the collapsed structure.
Authorities have not yet established what caused the building to fail. Bodies recovered from the site have been taken to a mortuary, though officials declined to provide exact casualty figures.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the collapse and detailed the emergency response. "The police, in collaboration with other security agencies, immediately mobilised to the scene, secured the area to prevent further danger, and coordinated rescue efforts," he said in a statement.
Ikenga added that rescue operations were continuing as teams worked to reach anyone else who might remain trapped beneath the structure. He noted that authorities still cannot confirm the total number of casualties or people affected by the disaster.
Police urged the public to stay calm and avoid spreading rumours about the incident. The command also appealed to residents to keep away from the scene so emergency responders could work without obstruction as search and rescue efforts continued.
