A mother and her baby were injured early Saturday when an uncompleted three-storey building collapsed in Umuahia, Abia State.
Miraculously, the other five members of their family, who were in a nearby bungalow hit by the collapsing structure, escaped death.
We gathered that the building is located around Olokoro Road, Federal Low Cost Housing Estate, Ohobo Afara, Umuahia.
The site of the three-storey building collapsed in Umuahia, Abia State
Residents in the area who spoke to newsmen on Saturday said the uncompleted building collapsed around 3am on Saturday, destroying a nearby bungalow housing a family of seven.
An eyewitness reported, “That although no life was lost, a nursing mother, her five-month-old baby, and another individual are currently hospitalised for sustained injuries.”
He also stated that “the building had shown signs of caving in before its final collapse on Saturday.”
Upon inspection, it was noted that two other three-storey buildings on the premises have also caved in.
In an interview with our correspondent, Mr. Ugwumba Shedrack and Nkechi Uzochi, occupants of the affected bungalow, confirmed that “the incident occurred around 3am.”
One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Babayu Adamu, a security guard at the premises, stated that the building had shown signs of instability in the past and reinforcing measures were taken.
However, he explained that there had been no recent signs of collapse on the three-storey building, which had been roofed and was awaiting furnishing.
Meanwhile, the Umuahia Capital Development Authority has sealed the premises of the three-storey building.
The General Manager, UCDA, Mr. Kingsley Agomoh, stated this during his visit to the scene on Saturday.
He expressed gratitude that “the lives of the two injured persons, including the baby, who were occupants of the affected bungalow, were saved and that they are receiving treatment at a private hospital.”
The UCDA General Manager explained that the agency has commenced an investigation to ascertain the cause of the building collapse, emphasising that appropriate punishment will be meted out to the owner in line with the law.
He added that an integrity test will be conducted on the two other three-storey buildings still standing on the premises.
