A hospital building has reportedly collapsed in Calabar, Cross River State, after torrential rainfall triggered a landslide that destabilised the ground around the facility.
The affected structure, identified as UNICEM Hospital, reportedly gave way on Thursday following several hours of heavy rain in the state capital.
Footage shared online showed a section of the hillside giving way and a large volume of earth sliding towards the hospital premises before parts of the building collapsed.
Residents in the area were said to have watched the incident from a safe distance as the collapse sent panic through the neighbourhood. Debris, including concrete slabs and exposed reinforcement rods, was left at the site.
As of Friday, there was no official confirmation of any death or injury. It was also unclear whether anyone was inside the building when the incident occurred.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the risks posed by heavy rainfall, erosion and landslides in parts of Calabar, particularly in areas where construction is carried out on vulnerable slopes.
Environmental and building safety concerns, including poor drainage and development on unstable terrain, are expected to come under renewed scrutiny following the incident.
Residents and stakeholders are likely to demand stronger enforcement of building regulations and proper soil and geological assessments before construction is approved in erosion- and landslide-prone areas.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Cross River State Government nor the relevant emergency management authorities had issued an official detailed statement on the collapse.
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