A three-storey building under construction collapsed on Thursday morning in Awka, Anambra State, leaving many feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The structure, located behind the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square in Okpuno, caved in at about 11:40am while workers were reportedly on site.
The building, which had four suspended floors and was already at the roofing stage, suddenly gave way without warning.
Eyewitnesses said that the collapse caused panic among residents and passersby as several construction workers were believed to have been caught under the debris.
The cause of the collapse and casualty figure has yet to be ascertained, but some officials from the state 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.
Some bystanders and passersby quickly began makeshift rescue efforts, desperately trying to reach those trapped. The scene soon descended into chaos as the operation was severely hindered by poor logistics and the absence of essential equipment like excavators.
One of the eyewitnesses at the scene was quoted as saying, “The building collapsed this morning(Thursday) as some artisans were carrying out some construction works at 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, COREN-ERM Anambra State, Victor Meju, said, “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.”