Panic in Calabar as Landslide Causes Hospital Building to Collapse

A hospital building in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has collapsed following a landslide triggered by hours of heavy rainfall.

The affected facility, identified as UNICEM Hospital, reportedly gave way on Thursday, August 13, after torrential rain destabilised the hillside on which the structure was built.

Videos circulating on social media showed a large section of earth sliding into the hospital complex before parts of the building collapsed. The footage also captured concrete debris and exposed reinforcement rods, while residents watched from a safe distance.

A Calabar-based pharmacist, Mekzy, who shared one of the videos on X, attributed the incident to a landslide caused by the heavy downpour.

There was no official confirmation of casualties as of Friday. Although eyewitnesses said the collapse caused panic in the area, emergency authorities had yet to confirm whether anyone was trapped, injured or killed.

The incident has renewed concerns over Calabar’s vulnerability to landslides, flooding and erosion during the rainy season, particularly in areas where construction takes place on unstable slopes.

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Residents and concerned stakeholders are also expected to renew calls for stricter enforcement of building regulations, improved drainage systems and mandatory geotechnical assessments before construction in erosion- and landslide-prone areas.

As of the time of filing, neither the Cross River State Government nor relevant emergency management agencies had issued a detailed official statement on the incident.