CITIZENS COMPASS –A five-storey building on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, collapsed in Onitsha, Anambra State leaving two construction workers reportedly trapped.
The five-storey building collapsed at the premises of Dennis Memorial Grammar School.
It was gathered that the building was undergoing construction when it collapsed at 7.15 a.m.
The construction work which commenced about Two years ago was said to have reached its final stage.
Three construction workers were said to be trapped while one was rescued by emergency responders.
As at 5.35p.m,it was learned that the trapped workers were still speaking underneath the rubbles.as Anambra State officials and Nigeria Red Cross Society were doing the needful.
Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim, who visited the site, called for calm and assured the residents that those still trapped would be rescued.
Ibezim ordered the rescue workers to provide more excavators and water tankers at the site to douse the intensity of the heat.
He commended the rescue team for their efforts and prompt intervention and urged them to sustain their zeal to rescue those trapped.
COREN Technical/Expatriate Committee of Anambra State, Victor Metu, who spoke to our correspondent, said the team of engineers handling the project were qualified and registered.
Meju said he and his team were on the ground to ascertain various factors involved in the building collapse.
He said the cause of the collapsed building might be substandard materials, stressing that until full investigation and analysis were done, the society could not ascertain the main cause of the collapse
“I was at the scene right away to get the various factors involved. We are still excavating. I learnt that there may be some people trapped, but I will give full information later.”
Also, the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Chinyere Nwoye, said its personnel were immediately deployed to the site when the news broke.
As of the time of filing this report at about 5:35 pm, the two persons were still trapped as rescue operations were still going on in the presence of heavy security operatives.
