About 11 persons have been rescued alive while several others are still trapped under a three-storey building that collapsed in Kano yesterday.

The Guardian reported the collapse of a structure under construction at Abedie Street, Sabon Gari, Kano, leaving several persons trapped in the concrete debris.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that the building went down at about 6 p.m. Sunday during a heavy rainfall, crashing down on innocent people taking shelter under it.

Although our correspondent, who was at the scene of the collapsed building at about 8 p.m., a few hours after the collapse, reported that emergency response had yet to commence, residents of the area disclosed that 11 persons had been rescued and taken to Murtala Specialist Hospital, Kano.

Officials of the State Emergency Management Agency and Federal Fire Service were seen around the scene of the incident, along with heavily armed police officers, but no rescue operation was taking place.

According to one Emmanuel Ike, a resident of the community, massive efforts by residents led to the eventual rescue of 11 people. He said people were compelled to resort to self-help after waiting endlessly for concerned authorities without results.

“We had people begging for help under the rubble since yesterday, but there is little we can do because the situation is beyond self-help. We need emergency attention here and that has not come.

“We have seen emergency response officials here standing, but they are not doing anything. Some said they are waiting for an excavator to evacuate the debris. But the community has tried their best to recover some,” an eyewitness confirmed.

Spokesman of Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullah, confirmed the development to *The Guardian* on telephone.

He, however, explained that men of the service were attending to another emergency situation along Katsina Road and added that the rescue team would be deployed as soon as possible.