A man identified as Chizoba Aniefuna and his two sons perished following the collapse of their one-story building in Egbu Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Sunday.
An Unnamed relative of the victim, who was also trapped in the still-under-construction structure, was rescued and taken to St. Felix Hospital in Nnewi, where he is still undergoing treatment.
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The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) representatives and the chairman of the Nnewi North council’s transition committee, Mr. Chris Obiora, have both visited the scene.
The excavator brought to the area to rescue the victims broke down, but manual labourers were already there to help.
After the dead bodies were removed from the rubble and Victor Meju, the Anambra State Chairman of COREN, spoke to the media, he blamed the accident on a number of factors, including a weak foundation, poor concrete mix, poor-quality materials, poor wearing capacity, a lack of compliance with standards, and lack of approval from the appropriate regulatory bodies.
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Meju ordered the location to be cordoned off and said that Mr Chukwunafu Anamanjo, the building’s owner, will be contacted for an interview to help with the inquiry after describing the situation as an avoidable tragedy.
Obiora, the chairman of the transition committee for Nnewi North, urged the populace to always hire certified engineers and other qualified workers in the construction industry, stressing that monitoring teams were also crucial to ensuring that the standards were properly followed.
