It's 7 DAYS since a 7-storey building collapsed in #Portharcourt. Red Cross officials say there might be up to HUNDRED PEOPLE still trapped there. There is no URGENCY to this rescue! I remember how the world held it's collective breath when ONLY 12 boys were trapped in a cave! 
The building collapsed on Friday which was a Payday. Labourers, contractors, suppliers & even policemen were on site. The pregnant woman who sells food as well. The Red Cross official doesn't want to be quoted but they gave us a much higher number than that.
Imagine if we had a natural disaster in this country, how would we react? Will anyone survive at this rate? I'm tired abeg.
You would be shocked that most of Nigeria is unaware that this happened. I once watched a movie where a girl fell into a well. The entire town shut down as rescue attempts were made. Live updates on progress or the lack of it was given. Same thing with the Thai boys. Here?
Day 7 Update. #UpClose A few workers are drilling a hole in order to ascertain whether any 'smells' of decomposing bodies can be perceived. This will enable 'them' decide on the next course of action. 31 rescued, 9 corpses retrieved.
Day 7 Update. 40 people have been retrieved from the building so far, 31 alive, 9 dead. The equipment on site is no match for the weight of those slabs. The drillers are trying to drill a hole to see if there is a 'smell' of decomposing bodies which will guide further actions.
Day 7 Update. A few workers are drilling a hole in order to ascertain whether any 'smells' of decomposing bodies can be perceived. This will enable 'them' decide on the next course of action. 31 rescued, 9 corpses retrieved.
We have no disaster management training in Nigeria. Zilch. Red Cross official told us of a man rescued who was thrown on the floor 3 times before he got to an ambulance because he was carried wrongly on the stretcher. Also, nobody made way for the ambulance's siren. He died.
We have no disaster management training in Nigeria. Zilch. Red Cross official told us of a man rescued who was thrown on the floor 3 times before he got to an ambulance because he was carried wrongly on the stretcher. Also, nobody made way for the ambulance's siren. He died.
These are the major equipment on site in case anyone was wondering.
While we there, they were weighting down the vehicle-equipment pictured to lift some of the debris but I had to leave before it actually started. Second picture is the report of the days work. It was a failure.
The attempt to lift. There is no equipment on that site which can lift any of the debris. If we have to wait for that daunting mass of concrete and mangled iron to be MANUALLY broken apart, we could be here for weeks.
To reiterate.
Can we dig beside this building and get to the basement? Do we have to lift from the top when we are obviously not equipped to? I don't know.
.
This broadcast ends here until/unless something new happens. I'm starting to sound like a broken record.
Can we dig beside this building and get to the basement? Do we have to lift from the top when we are obviously not equipped to? I don't know.
.
This broadcast ends here until/unless something new happens. I'm starting to sound like a broken record.
So while we were there, they were preparing this vehicle to lift some of the debris. I had to leave but I got this report about the end result of the days work. Needless to say, there is no equipment on that site capable of lifting anything considerable.
Day 8 Report:
Status unchanged.
Status unchanged.
