A three-storey building with four suspended floors, located behind the Anambra State House of Assembly, off Ekwueme Square, Okpuno Awka, collapsed on Thursday, sending residents and passers-by into panic.
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The building, which was still under construction and at the roofing stage, caved in around 11:40 a.m. Eyewitnesses said the structure suddenly gave way without prior warning, raising fears that some construction workers might have been trapped in the rubble.
Officials of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the state’s material testing department were seen at the site to determine the cause of the collapse.
The area was cordoned off as bystanders attempted rescue operations, though efforts were hampered by the absence of excavators and other essential equipment.
An eyewitness said, “The building collapsed this morning as some artisans were working on the roof. It made some noise before caving in. We don’t yet know how many workers were trapped, but government officials arrived shortly after, although they said they were waiting for excavators before proper rescue could begin.”
The Chairman of COREN-ERM Anambra State, Sir Victor Meju, confirmed that the collapsed structure was a private building. He explained that a preliminary investigation suggested poor concrete mixture and possible foundation issues as causes.
“It is a three-storey building with four suspended floors still under construction at its roofing stage. It was roofed last Thursday. The collapse was a vertically complete one, reduced to rubble,” he stated.
While the spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident, the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) issued a statement assuring the public that no life was lost.
Ukpa Ewa, Head of ACTDA’s Media Unit, said: “Preliminary checks show no evidence that anyone was trapped. We urge the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information. ACTDA remains committed to enforcing strict building standards and will continue to monitor developments within the Awka Capital Territory.”
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