By Michael Ovat

Copyright tribuneonlineng

A three-storey building with four suspended floors, located behind the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square, Okpuno Awka, the Anambra State capital, has collapsed.

Tribune Online gathered that the building, still under construction and at the roofing stage, suddenly caved in at about 11:40 a.m. on Thursday.

The development threw residents and passers-by into panic, as it was gathered that an as-yet-unknown number of occupants, especially construction workers, were trapped in the rubble.

Eyewitnesses near the scene said the structure suddenly caved in without any prior sign, adding that the number of workers and other occupants trapped could not yet be ascertained.

The cause of the collapse and casualty figures have not yet been confirmed, but some officials from the state Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Materials Testing Department are already on the ground to ascertain the cause.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene of the collapse, observed bystanders and other passers-by initiating rescue efforts in a bid to save anyone trapped.

It was a chaotic situation at the scene, as rescue efforts were being hampered by a lack of logistics and necessary equipment, such as excavators.

One of the eyewitnesses at the scene told Nigerian Tribune that, “The building collapsed this morning (Thursday) as some artisans were carrying out construction works 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. Rescue efforts have not begun as they said they were waiting for excavators to arrive.”

The Chairman of COREN-ERM, Anambra State, Engr Victor Meju, said, “It was a five-storey building, six floors, 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 Agency (ACTDA), have been notified and are on the ground to monitor and offer rescue operations.”

However, when contacted on the development, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware but promised to make enquiries and get back.

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