Seven people sustained varying degrees of injuries after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, around Olokoro Road, Federal Low-Cost Housing Estate, Umuahia, Abia State.
The incident, which occurred at about 3 a.m., also led to the destruction of a nearby bungalow housing a family of seven.
While no fatalities were reported, several victims, including a nursing mother and her five-month-old baby, were rescued from the rubble and rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment.
Residents of the area said the building had long shown signs of structural weakness.
“The building has been showing signs of collapse for too long. This morning we heard a loud sound around 3 a.m., and the building collapsed. I heard the building belongs to a politician; I don’t know why he abandoned it in that condition,” said Ugwumba Shedrack, a resident.
The General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Kingsley Agomoh, visited the scene to assess the extent of damage.
He expressed gratitude that no lives were lost and confirmed that the premises of the collapsed building had been sealed.
Agomoh said the agency has launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse and assured that the owner of the building would face appropriate sanctions in accordance with the law.
