Nigeria: At least 7 dead in building collapse

A building collapsed in a suburb of the Nigerian capital over the weekend, killing at least seven people, police said Monday.

Abuja police said the building, located in the Sabon-Lugbe area of Abuja, had already been partially demolished, and its structure was further compromised by scavengers looking for scrap metal.

Abuja police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said five people were rescued from the rubble on Sunday.

Building collapses are becoming increasingly common in Nigeria, with more than a dozen such incidents recorded in the past two years. Authorities often blame the disasters for lacking enforcement of building safety regulations and poor maintenance.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, recorded 22 building collapses between January and July this year, according to the Council for Engineering Regulation in Nigeria.

In July, a two-story school collapsed in the north-central part of the country, killing 22 students. Saints Academy, located in the Busa Buji community of Plateau State, collapsed shortly after the students, many of whom were aged 15 or younger, arrived.