TWO KILLED AFTER MASSIVE REFUSE HEAP COLLAPSES ON CALABAR BUILDING

Two people have been confirmed dead after a large refuse dump collapsed onto a building at Ikot Effanga, along Old Odukpani Road in Calabar, Cross River State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday when the accumulated refuse reportedly gave way and crashed onto a building said to have been constructed within a valley.

The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah.

According to the police, officers were promptly deployed to the scene after receiving information about the collapse. Upon arrival, they discovered that the collapsed refuse had impacted the building, trapping occupants inside.

Two people who were in the building at the time of the incident died in the collapse.

The police identified one of the victims as Nfon Imé, a male, while the second victim was a woman whose identity had not been established as of the time of the report.

The bodies of the deceased were recovered from the scene and subsequently deposited at a mortuary.

The police command said it had commenced an assessment of the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine what led to the collapse and whether any factors contributed to the tragedy.

Investigations are also ongoing, with authorities expected to establish further details about the building, the refuse dump and the conditions that may have resulted in the collapse.

The incident has raised concerns about the dangers associated with the accumulation of refuse, particularly around residential areas and locations where buildings may be exposed to unstable waste heaps.

Authorities are expected to communicate additional information as the investigation progresses and more facts about the incident are verified.

The tragedy has also renewed attention on the need for proper waste management and safer urban planning to prevent refuse accumulation from posing a threat to lives and property.