Late Graduate, Vivian Chinedum
Two bodies – a male and a female have so far been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed Elite 5-Star Hostel in Amaokpala, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The 3-storey building, which reportedly contained about 60 rooms, caved in on the night of Sunday, July 26, 2026, leaving several occupants trapped beneath the debris.
The female victim has been identified by friends as Vivian Chinedum, a baker and a fresh graduate of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Rescue workers at the scene carrying the body of a victim. According to the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS), Vivian moved into the hostel in March 2026. Survivors of the tragedy have since recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the collapse, revealing that there were clear warning signs before the building gave way.
One of the survivors, Grace Nweke, said that at about 10 p.m. on Sunday, a food vendor living in the hostel alerted residents through their WhatsApp group that cracks had appeared on the walls of the building.
The hostel before it collapsed
According to Grace, many occupants had not fully understood the gravity of the warning when they suddenly heard loud cracking sounds. The noise prompted residents to flee the building in panic, with some managing to escape moments before the structure collapsed.
Grace, who had lived in the hostel since January 2026, said she was unaware that the building had structural defects. The collapsed hostel left casualties. She added that residents later discovered the previous occupants had allegedly been asked to vacate the building because it had been declared unsafe.
Despite the alleged warning, the caretaker reportedly rented out the hostel to unsuspecting students and other tenants. Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Director of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ndidi Omega, described the collapse as both tragic and preventable.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that any building declared unsafe or marked for demolition is immediately evacuated and kept unoccupied to prevent avoidable loss of lives. The incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of building safety regulations, with many Nigerians urging authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and hold anyone found negligent accountable.
