Two die as refuse dump collapses on building in Cross River

Two people have died after a collapsed refuse dump struck a building at Ikot Effanga along Old Odukpani Road in Calabar, Cross River State, the police said.

The incident occurred on Friday, according to a statement by the state police spokesperson, Sunday Eitokpah.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Ekpenyong Cobham, has also confirmed the incident to this newspaper.

Police personnel, who responded to the scene, found that the collapsed refuse had impacted a building reportedly constructed within a valley, killing two occupants.

The deceased were identified as Nfon Imé, a male, and an unidentified female who was believed to have been inside the building when the incident occurred.

Their remains have been recovered and deposited at a mortuary, the police said.

Investigation begins

The Cross River State Police Command said it was assessing the circumstances of the incident and that further investigation was ongoing.

“The Command is currently conducting an assessment of the circumstances surrounding the incident, while further investigation is ongoing,” Mr Eitokpah, an assistant superintendent of police, said.

The command urged residents to remain calm and avoid speculation while authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collapse.

“Further details will be communicated as soon as they are verified and available,” the statement said.

The incident adds to a series of landslide and erosion disasters that have affected Cross River in recent months.

Recurring landslides

In July, five people, including four children, were killed in a landslide at Ikot Anwatim Community in Calabar Municipality after days of heavy rainfall. Two other people were injured in the incident, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

Earlier this month, a hospital in Calabar partially collapsed after a landslide undermined parts of the facility following persistent rainfall. The state government described the incident as a “serious natural disaster” that had persisted for about two weeks.

The latest incident also comes as the Cross River government seeks international assistance to address the state’s worsening problems of landslides, flooding, erosion, and land degradation.

State seeks international intervention

At the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Mongolia, the state government sought $25 million in international support for emergency response, ecological restoration and long-term resilience.

The proposed Cross River Restore Hope Initiative includes funding for emergency slope stabilisation, drainage and erosion-control works, risk mapping, geotechnical and hydrological studies, early-warning systems and restoration of degraded watersheds, forests, wetlands and unstable slopes.

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The state has said the scale of the environmental damage now exceeds existing funding mechanisms and requires additional intervention.

Cross River officials also used COP17 to seek investment and partnerships to address land degradation, erosion and flooding, while the federal government urged the state to strengthen efforts against illegal logging, which has contributed to pressure on its ecosystems.

The repeated disasters have heightened concerns about the safety of residents living in areas vulnerable to landslides, erosion and flooding, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.