Rivers building collapse- three confirmed dead

It has been confirmed that three persons have died while others have sustained vaulting degrees of injuries in a collapsed two-storey building under construction along Isi Ewu road, Nbodo Community in Ikwerre Local Council of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the victims were mostly labourers at the construction site when the incident occurred on Saturday, February 4th, evening. A preliminary investigation report received by operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), revealed that the rods, pillars and blocks used in construction of the two- Storey building were far below specification.

The Ikwerre Local Council Chairman, Samuel Nwanosike, was said to have mobilised three Pay loaders and provided necessary logistics, which enhanced rescue operations and recovery of the corpses by NSCDC, thereby reducing the number of casualties as some survivors were immediately rushed to hospitals for treatments.

As at Saturday’s evening, two persons were confirmed dead, while another was also confirmed dead on Sunday.

Confirming the development, spokesperson of the NSCDC Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, said the victims were labourers working at the construction site .

Ayodele in the statement yesterday, said the State Commandant of NSCDC, Michael Besong Ogar has visited the site with his team. He noted that the Commandant, who was represented by the Head of the Rivers NSCDC Disaster Management Rescue Team noted that the sad occurrence would have been avoided if the contractor had desisted from using substandard building materials.

He said: “It is high time Nigerians began to take responsibility for their actions, most especially when humans are involved. The collapse of the two-storey building at Aluu in Ikwerre Local Council Area, could have actually been avoided if standardised materials and right specifications were used. Owners of buildings and landlords are hereby advised to be wary of desperate and quack building contractors who care only about their pockets and not the lives of innocent people.”

The NSCDC spokesperson added that the Command’s Crisis Management Department would not relent in carrying out sensitisation and awareness programs to warn the public of imminent dangers and precautionary measures needed to avert both man-made and natural disasters in its environment because prevention is better than cure.