A three-story building with four suspended stories fell behind the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square in Okpuno Awka, Anambra’s capital.
According to reports, the structure, which was still under construction and was in the process of being roofed, abruptly caved in at 11:40 a.m. Thursday.
The development caused alarm among homeowners and passers-by as it was discovered that an undetermined number of individuals, particularly construction workers, were trapped in the wreckage.
According to eyewitnesses near the area, the structure abruptly caved in without warning, and the number of workers and other inhabitants trapped has yet to be determined.
The cause of the collapse and the number of casualties are unknown, but authorities from Nigeria’s State Council for the Regulation of Engineering and the materials testing department have already arrived on the scene to investigate.
Our journalist, who went to the scene of the collapse, saw some bystanders and passers-by start rescue attempts in an attempt to check whether anyone trapped could be saved.
The scene was chaotic, with rescue attempts delayed by a shortage of logistics and other essential equipment, like excavators.
One of the eyewitnesses at the scene said, “The building collapsed this morning (Thursday) as some artisans were carrying out some construction work on the roof of the structure.
“The building made some noise as it was collapsing while some construction workers were at the site. No one can say the cause of the collapse for now, but some government officials arrived at the scene shortly after, but rescue efforts have not begun, as they said they were waiting for excavators to arrive.”
The Chairman of COREN-ERM Anambra State, Sir Victor Meju, stated that, “It was a five-story building; the sixth floor was still under construction at its roofing stage. It is a private building. It was gathered that the structure was roofed last Thursday.
“On-site preliminary investigation revealed that it was a vertically complete collapse to the rubble. The on-site preliminary investigation also revealed that the collapse occurred as a result of a poor concrete mixture and a likely foundation problem.
“The relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Housing and the Awka Capital Territory Development Association, have been notified, and they are on the ground to monitor and offer rescue operations.”
