Two people have been confirmed dead after the Elite 5-Star Hostel collapsed in Amaokpala, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The victims, a man and a woman, were recovered from the rubble during rescue operations.
The female victim was identified by friends as Vivian Chinedu, a baker and a recent graduate of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko. According to those who knew her, she moved into the hostel in March 2026.
Survivors said there were warning signs hours before the building gave way.
One of the occupants, Grace Nweke, said that around 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.
Grace, who has lived in the hostel since January 2026, said many residents had not fully understood the gravity of the warning before they heard loud cracking sounds and rushed out of the building to safety.
She added that it was only after the collapse that they learnt the previous occupants had allegedly been asked to vacate the hostel because it had become structurally unsafe. Despite this, the caretaker was said to have rented the building to unsuspecting students.
Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Director of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ndidi Omega, described the tragedy as both unfortunate and preventable.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that buildings declared unsafe or marked for demolition are not occupied, warning that strict enforcement of safety regulations is necessary to prevent similar incidents.
