Three-Storey Student Hostel Collapses Near Oko Polytechnic, Many Trapped

Federal Polytechnic Oko

Three-Storey Student Hostel Collapses Near Oko Polytechnic, Many Trapped

A three-storey private hostel, Elite Five Star Lodge, collapsed late Sunday night in Oko, Anambra State, trapping an unspecified number of students and other occupants beneath the rubble. The building, located beside Tonimas Filling Station in the Amokpala area behind Federal Polytechnic Oko, caved in during the late hours of Sunday, July 26, 2026, triggering panic among residents and students, with desperate cries for help reportedly heard from beneath the debris shortly after the structure collapsed. Emergency responders, including personnel from the Anambra State Police Command, the Anambra State Fire Service, and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) , immediately launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation, with several injured victims pulled from the debris and rushed to a hospital in Oko for medical treatment. Bodies recovered from the scene have been deposited in a mortuary, though authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of casualties.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team responded swiftly after receiving a distress call, securing the area to prevent further danger and coordinating rescue efforts. In a statement, Ikenga said that rescue operations are ongoing to reach other persons who may still be trapped, and the number of casualties or affected persons cannot yet be confirmed, adding that some injured victims have been rescued from the debris and evacuated to a hospital in Oko, where they are currently receiving medical attention.

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The management of Federal Polytechnic Oko has clarified that the collapsed structure is a privately owned lodge located in Amaokpala, a neighbouring community to Oko town, and not within the institution’s premises, with the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Oguegbu Celestine Udoka, stating that reports circulating on social media were misleading and exaggerated, adding that the building accommodates both students and non-students. The Polytechnic disclosed that its Rector, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, visited the scene early Monday morning to assess the situation and ascertain the welfare of any affected students, accompanied by the Students’ Union Government President, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, and other senior staff.

Residents described scenes of fear and confusion as the building suddenly collapsed without warning, with one eyewitness, who identified herself simply as Ifeoma, saying that many people initially mistook the loud sound for an explosion before discovering that the student hostel had crumbled, and that within moments after the loud noise, the occupants inside started shouting for help as the building fell. Emergency response teams continued operations on Monday, with heavy equipment and personnel remaining at the site, as the building, which is usually overcrowded with students from the academic institution currently in its second semester of the 2025/2026 academic session, collapsed while many occupants were believed to be asleep. The police appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and stay away from the scene to enable emergency responders carry out their work effectively, while the cause of the building collapse has yet to be determined.