By Rafiu Ajakaye</p> <p>YOLA, Nigeria(AA) – Death toll from the building collapse in Nigeria’s southern city of Port Harcourt has climbed to 17, an official said on Wednesday, 10 days after the incident. </p> <p>“At the moment, we have rescued 31 persons while 17 were pulled dead from the rubble. But the rescue operation is still ongoing,” Ejike Martins-Udeinya, the regional head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Anadolu Agency.</p> <p>Martins-Udeinya said many agencies are involved in the operation which has continues since the seven-storey building collapsed on Nov. 23.</p> <p>Government has arrested some contractors linked to the construction of the building over claims that they had used substandard materials.
Building collapse is a national phenomenon owing largely to poor adherence to the standards.
