"Sadly, around 11 p.m. yesterday, we got a call that a building had collapsed and we rushed here to commence evacuation. It is very painful, the building was approved as a shopping mall, after the approval, the owner started altering it. The owner added some blocks to it, that is why the load became very heavy," an FCDA official said.

At least two persons have been confirmed stuck in the rubble of a collapsed shopping mall in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja.

The mall, which is under construction, crumbled on Thursday night. About six workers, including a security man were within its premises of the mall when the incident occurred.

So far, five of the victims have been rescued by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), currently searching the ruins for two other persons reportedly stuck in the building.

PREMIUM TIMES saw three of the rescued victims while the fourth person, severely injured, has been rushed to an hospital for treatment

"Sadly, around 11 p.m. yesterday, we got a call that a building had collapsed and we rushed here to commence evacuation. It is very painful. The building was approved as a shopping mall, after the approval, the owner started altering it.

"The owner added some blocks to it, that is why the load became very heavy," Ikharo Attah, an aide to the FCT Minister, told this newspaper.

Details shortly...