JUST IN: Building Collapse: One Dead, Three Others Rescued in Enugu (VIDEO)

A-Four story building under construction along Ogbaru street/Alvan Ikokwu street collapsed on Sunday at Independence Layout in Enugu, leaving one person dead while about three or four others were reportedly rescued from the debris.

Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), Hon. Uche Anya refused to pick his calls for response on the incident.

However, an official involved in the excavation and rescue exercise of the site, who spoke to Daily Insider, said excavators were still working at the scene to ascertain whether anyone remained trapped beneath the rubble.

According to the official, the exact number of people affected was yet to be fully established, as initial figures were based on information from a third-party source.

He attributed the collapse to what he described as structural defects, saying the site had previously been sealed by ECTDA following an inspection.

He explained that the inspection had revealed serious defects in the building's structural design, particularly the way columns were introduced and connected to the foundation.

“We found out that the column distributions were faulty,” the official said, adding that some columns had been introduced on beams without proper rooting or anchorage to the foundation.

He also cited poor material mixing and other construction deficiencies as visible problems at the site.

The official expressed concern that construction activities continued despite the earlier sealing of the site.

He explained that the authorities were initially unable to detect that substantive construction work had resumed because the activities observed appeared to involve mainly the installation of air-conditioning ducts and pipes inside the building.

Investigation and excavation were ongoing at the time this paper visited the scene of the incident, to ensure that no other persons were trapped under the collapsed structure.

The incident comes amid continuing concerns over compliance with building standards and enforcement of construction regulations in Enugu.

Watch the video through the link 👇 

https://youtu.be/JkiqdPywrmk?feature=shared