No fewer than 20 workers narrowly escaped death after a two-storey building under construction collapsed in Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The incident caused panic among residents and passers-by.
It was gathered that the workers at the site narrowly escaped death on Monday evening when the structure began caving in after loud cracking sounds were heard from the walls.
When our correspondent visited the scene on Wednesday, it was observed that the building, reportedly intended to serve as a hotel, had tilted dangerously to different sides after partially collapsing.
A resident living near the building, who identified himself simply as Uzor, said over 20 workers were on the second floor of the structure when it suddenly began to cave in.
“Prior to the collapse, more than 20 workers were seen busy working at various sections of the building. But hours later, at about 5 p.m., the structure started caving in following loud cracks from the second floor, but luckily, among the workers, nobody was trapped as they jumped down one after another.
“The structure, still under construction, is designed to be a three-storey building and to be used for hotel business. It caved in such a way that both sides are now slanting in various directions from the top, and it’s posing a danger.
“The fortunate thing is that nobody was trapped in the structure. The speed at which the structure is being constructed and the heavy rainfall might have contributed to the collapse,” he said.
Another resident, simply identified as Amaka, blamed the collapse on what she described as hurried construction work and possible use of substandard materials.
“How can you be putting blocks on top of the ones that have not dried, and you know this is the rainy season? And most of these iron rods we have today are mostly inferior and are not meant for storey buildings like this.
“Some government officials visited the place on Tuesday and sealed the premises so that it will not cause further danger. Although the structure is still slanting and poses a danger. A thorough investigation should be conducted to ascertain the cause of the collapse,” she said.
Our correspondent observed that the premises had been sealed and cordoned off with barriers and tape after officials of the State Urban and Town Planning Department visited the site on Tuesday.
One of the officials at the scene, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak officially, said investigations had commenced to determine the cause of the collapse and whether proper approvals and building standards were followed.
“The premises were sealed off pending investigation. As you can see, it is now slanting in different directions and posing danger. Preliminary reports gathered indicated multiple damages.
“Authorities would move swiftly to establish how the structure failed and whether regulatory procedures were ignored or not, and also whether the building had approval.
“From the report we got, the building caved in while some construction workers were on the site. Fortunately, no life was lost. The Urban and Town Planning Department had already taken steps to seal off the property while further enforcement measures were underway,” the official said.
When contacted on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident but said details were still sketchy.
“Yes, it’s true, but details are still sketchy. I’ll get back to you when I have the full information,” he said.
Building collapses have remained a recurring concern in several parts of Nigeria, often linked to structural defects, use of substandard materials, poor regulatory compliance, and weak supervision of construction projects.
In recent years, authorities and professional bodies have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of building regulations to prevent avoidable disasters.
