Panic gripped residents of Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Thursday when a three-storey building under construction collapsed near the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square, Okpuno.
The structure, which had four suspended floors and was at the roofing stage, suddenly came crashing down at about 11:40 am, throwing residents and passersby into confusion.
Eyewitnesses said artisans and construction workers were on site when the building caved in, leaving an unknown number of people feared trapped.
“The building collapsed this morning as some artisans were carrying out construction works at the roof of the structure.”
The building made some noise as it was collapsing while workers were at the site,” an eyewitness recounted, adding that rescue efforts had not started as officials were waiting for excavators to arrive.
Our correspondent observed that bystanders and residents attempted to dig through the rubble in desperation to save those believed to be under the debris. However, their efforts were hampered by a lack of proper equipment, further heightening the tension around the area.
The Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Engineering Regulation Monitoring in Anambra State, Sir Victor Meju, confirmed that the collapse involved a five-storey building, with a sixth floor still under construction.
“On-site preliminary investigation revealed that it was a vertically complete collapse to the rubble. The collapse occurred as a result of a poor concrete mixture and a likely foundation problem,” Meju said.
He noted that relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Housing and the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, had been informed and were on the ground to monitor the situation and assist with rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the Spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not yet aware of the incident but promised to make enquiries.
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