A three-storey building under construction collapsed in Iriebe, Oboo/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
It was gathered that construction was ongoing on the third floor of the structure when the building caved in.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene, reports that it was difficult to access the lower part of the building due to the swampy nature of the area.
A source residing near the scene told our correspondent that he saw some workers earlier at the site when he was going to work on Tuesday morning.
According to him, “It was this morning it happened, but I can’t say for sure if there are any human casualties, though I saw workers at the site today.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ohio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, Chijioke Ihunwo, has ordered the immediate closure of the site.
Ihunwo, during a visit to the site on Tuesday afternoon, directed the owner of the building and the contractor handling the job to report to his office on Wednesday morning.
He said they are to come with the necessary documents and building approval.
The Ohio/Akpor LG Chairman described the incident as unfortunate and expressed fears that there could be workers under the rubble.
He stated, “It is quite unfortunate that this incident has just occurred. We, as a local government, have closed down this particular site.
“We have also instructed the owner of the building to provide us with approval from the local government and the Ministry of Urban Development. For now, we cannot ascertain if anybody was inside this building or if any lives were lost.
“So we have communicated with the owner; we want to see him tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10 am. We, however, appeal to those living in the area to remain calm while this place is being sealed until further notice.”
He also expressed sadness over the quality of materials used in the construction and promised to work with the State Ministry of Urban Development to begin a thorough investigation into the incident.
Ihunwo added, “You can see that the materials being used here are substandard. That is why we have invited the person who claims to own this place to explain why he is using substandard materials to build this kind of mansion.
“We are also going to consult the Ministry of Urban Development with our findings to determine if the Ministry actually approved the building plan before we take further action.”
