A worker has died and seven others were injured after a section of the new Gombe State House of Assembly Complex under construction collapsed on Friday.
The tragic incident occurred when part of a cantilevered entrance canopy suddenly gave way, trapping workers beneath the debris.
The Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Permanent Secretary, Danladi Adamu.
According to the ministry, emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the scene to rescue trapped workers.
Five of the injured workers are receiving treatment at the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, while two others are being treated at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. Authorities have yet to release the identities of the deceased and the injured victims.
Reacting to the tragedy, Governor Inuwa Yahaya expressed condolences to the family of the deceased worker and directed the state government to cover the full medical expenses of all injured survivors.
The governor also ordered the Ministry of Works, in collaboration with emergency and engineering regulatory agencies, to begin an immediate investigation into the structural failure.
The state government said a preliminary investigation report would be followed by a comprehensive technical review to determine the exact cause of the collapse.
The collapsed structure was a cantilevered entrance canopy, a design supported at only one end and requiring precise engineering calculations during construction.
Although the cause of the collapse has not yet been established, the government vowed to hold anyone found responsible for negligence or the use of substandard materials accountable.
“The Gombe State Government remains firmly committed to ensuring strict compliance with safety, quality and engineering standards in the execution of all public infrastructure projects,” Adamu said, adding that appropriate sanctions or corrective measures would be implemented based on the outcome of the investigation.
Construction activities have been suspended in the affected section of the multi-million naira assembly complex while engineers examine the collapsed structure.
