One trapped as three-storey building collapses in Ebonyi

Tragedy struck on Tuesday night following the collapse of a three-story building under construction in Abakiliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

The collapsed building is located adjacent to the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA 1).

It was gathered that workers on-site are still trapped while one victim has been rescued and rushed to the hospital.

The building belongs to Hon. Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (P-Noble), a member representing Afikpo North East in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

The state Commissioner for Capital City and Urban Development, Hon Sunday Inyima, who briefed journalists on Wednesday morning, described the incident as sad and explained that one of the workers has been rescued. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining workers.

Narrating the cause of the collapse, Inyima said that the structure was illegal and did not pass the approval of the Head of Department of the ministry, but the owner went ahead with the building.

The state Commissioner for Works, Engr Lebechi Mbam, called on developers and homeowners to patiently follow the due process of getting approval from the concerned state ministry in order to save lives.

The state chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers and Chairman of Engineers Regulation Monitoring of the Council of Engineering of Nigeria (COREN), Engineer Eni Enyinnaya, described the incident as a monumental economic loss and an embarrassment to the Ebonyi State government.

Enyinnaya warned against quack engineers and added that measures would be taken to sanction the site engineers.

Efforts to reach the house owner, Hon. Ukie Ezeali, were unsuccessful as he was out of reach.