Five people were feared trapped inside a collapsed three-storey building in Umumbi, a community in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria’s south-east.
Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the three-storey building collapsed on Friday.
One of the residents, Onyeka Egbule, told this newspaper that the building was still under construction when it collapsed.
“Five people were working yesterday (Friday) when the building collapsed on them,” Mr Egbule, whose apartment is located a few miles from the building, said.
He, however, could not say if the workers had died
Another resident, simply identified as Jude, claimed three of the carpenters working on the building’s roof survived the collapse.
But he could not explain the whereabouts of the survivors.
This newspaper gathered that the owner of the building is based outside Nigeria, but had asked his siblings in Nigeria to supervise the project.
There are speculations that the use of substandard building materials might have contributed to the collapse.
But we could not independently verify the speculations.
When contacted, the Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Okey Kalu, confirmed the development to newsmen
Mr Kanu said rescue efforts were carried out on Friday upon receipt of information about the incident.
He said the Abia State Government mobilised trucks and other equipment during the rescue operation.
The commissioner said, although he was yet to be fully briefed on the incident, “some persons” died in the collapse.
“We are investigating this collapse. The governor has ordered an investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the building collapse,” he said.
He hinted that “some persons would have been arrested by now” for their role in the collapse of the building.