Anambra five-storey building collapses, workers trapped

By Omodele Adigun

A five-storey building collapsed in Awka, Anambra state on Thursday afternoon, leaving many workers trapped.

The building, which is situated at Okpuno, behind the Anambra House of Assembly, was under construction when it collapsed.

As of the time of filing this report, government officials and other stakeholders are battling to rescue those under the rubble

Residents trooped out in their numbers to help in rescuing the victims, a report by The Nation confirmed.

The fourth floor of the building had been completed already while the workers had moved to the fifth floor before the incident

Some officials from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and the materials testing department are already on the ground to ascertain the cause of the collapse.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in Anambra State, Victor Meju, told The Nation that the building was a five-storey building and not three as being speculated.

“It was a five-storey building, the sixth floor 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. 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,” Meju said.