TRAGEDY: 3 Storey Building Collapses In Awka, Scores Trapped

Scores of persons are currently being trapped in a three-storey building that collapsed at the heart of Awka Capital City.

It is not clear yet how many people are trapped in the building, but it has been confirmed that many workers were inside when it collapsed.

The incident took place at the highbrow business area of Awka town along the busy Enugu-Awka-Onitsha expressway.

An unspecified number of construction workers were said to have been trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.

As of the time of this report, an ambulance and fire fighters were seen battling to rescue those trapped, though no bulldozer or other heavy rescue equipment was seen at the site.

A large number of sympathizers, including motorists traveling between Onitsha and Enugu, as well as others, were forced to stop and witness the aftermath of the collapse, while traders and workers in the area closed their businesses to observe the scene.

The building, worth several millions of Naira, was said to have reached the roofing stage before it collapsed into rubble.

Eyewitnesses said that some workers were inside the building when it collapsed.

According to one eyewitness, “I saw them carrying materials up the building. There were about 5 of them. There was also a security man.”

“Earlier in the day, they had come to buy things at my shop, and I sold to them,” the eyewitness added.

Another eyewitness, Monday Ibeh, corroborated the claim that some persons were trapped inside the building. He also noted that equipment like the fresh mixer at the front of the building suggested that there were more people inside when it collapsed.

Residents of nearby buildings revealed that, in the past few weeks, work on the structure had intensified, bringing it to the finishing stages.

A resident, who requested anonymity, recalled how the initial owner of the building leased it to a business tycoon, who is currently developing it. The resident claimed that the new developer failed to reinforce the foundation properly before constructing the building up to the third floor, which may have led to the collapse.

A woman, identified only as Prisca, described hearing a loud noise before coming outside to find the entire building leveled to the ground.

She suggested that the quality of concrete used in the building was substandard and that the roads leading to the structure were not suited for a building of such height.

As of the time of this report, only an ambulance and a fire truck had arrived at the site, with no heavy equipment for rescue operations.

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