WOMAN, 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER KILLED IN ANAMBRA BUILDING COLLAPSE

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

A woman and her 14-year-old daughter died after a three-story building under construction collapsed at Anata Anaba, Okpoko, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The incident occurred at about 9:45 pm on Wednesday, trapping the mother and daughter inside their apartment in a neighbouring bungalow.

Eyewitnesses said the building made a loud noise before its walls began cracking and the structure eventually collapsed, throwing residents into panic.

Other people trapped in the rubble were rescued by emergency responders and taken to hospital, according to residents.

“The woman and her daughter were in their apartment in a nearby bungalow when the three-story building collapsed and trapped them. Before the building caved in, it made a loud noise as the walls started making cracking noises before falling one after the other.

“Some other people who were also trapped in the rubble were later rescued and rushed to the hospital by an emergency response team that mobilised to the scene to evacuate victims,” an eyewitness said.

Some residents alleged that they had raised concerns about the construction, citing the waterlogged nature of the land as unsuitable for a three-story building.

Anambra building collapse.

They claimed the engineer who initially handled the project had advised the builder to limit the structure to two floors because of the ground conditions, but the recommendation was ignored.

According to the residents, another engineer was subsequently engaged to continue the project to three stories.

The collapse killed the landlady of the neighbouring bungalow and her youngest child.

The woman’s son, identified as Chimobi, said three members of the family were inside the apartment when the building collapsed.

“I was outside at the time of the incident. But my mother and my sister were in the bedroom when the building collapsed directly on them, leaving them with no opportunity to escape.

“It’s unfortunate. We had earlier warned the builder about the danger posed by the structure, and we were joined by other residents in calling for the construction to be stopped, but our concerns were not heeded,” he lamented.

Confirming the incident on Thursday, Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, described it as unfortunate.

Ojukwu visited the scene alongside the member representing Ogbaru One Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Noble Igwe.

Anambra building collapse.

The commissioner attributed the collapse to the use of substandard materials, adding that the authorities had previously issued a stop-work notice on the building.

“The structure was an illegal building, and we had ordered its demolition, and the land is going to be forfeited to the state government. We are investigating other unapproved buildings under construction in the area.

“It collapsed under the weight of negligence and poor-quality construction. It fell over and killed the residents of a neighbouring bungalow, a woman and her child,” Ojukwu added.

In a related incident in September, one person was killed and two others rescued after a two-story building undergoing manual demolition collapsed in the Aboru area of Lagos State.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the incident occurred at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, in Alimosho Local Government Area.

He said the agency’s Alpha Eagle Response Team was immediately dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call.