UMUAHIA – Seven persons were feared dead when a building under construction in Agbama area of Umuahia, the capital of Abia State collapsed yesterday night at about 8 o’clock.

It was gathered that an unspecified number of people are still trapped in the rubble as the Red Cross, a construction firm and security agencies are currently involved in rescue exercise.

Details later.

991: R.I.P to the dead, quick recovery to the injured, hearty condolence to the victims' families.

...both the landlord and the contractor should be arrested. ..

Lilimax: I even learnt that all squatters in the building diedon the spot
but the few who went to watch Chelsea match survived .
RIP to the dead.

chidindufrank: How on earth did such sad event occur Does it mean soil texture and stucture were not evealuted before embarking on the construction What are the works of urban/rural planning authorities if not to determine the land of best fit for buildings? So sad people lost their lives because of the incompetent foolsss possing as men incharge of the ministry of works.

babyosisi: What are people doing in an uncompleted building by 8PM?

babyosisi: What are people doing in an uncompleted building by 8PM?

chidindufrank: How on earth did such sad event occur Does it mean soil texture and stucture were not evealuted before embarking on the construction What are the works of urban/rural planning authorities if not to determine the land of best fit for buildings? So sad people lost their lives because of the incompetent foolsss possing as men incharge of the ministry of works.

Tolexander: May their souls rest in perfect peace!
Guess they were watching the europa league final between chelsea and benfica. Cos i wonder what people could be doing in the uncompleted building around 8 o'clock yesterday night.

chinchek: This building collapsed last nyt at abt 8:20pm like a pack of cards right next to my crib!
We were all up in my neighborhood till nearly 2am in attempts to rescue the trapped victims...and thanks to the State Govt and Mgt of FMC Umuahia who provided assistance pretty quick, considering our dis-advantanged environment. Emergency Ambulance arrived within an hour of the collapse, but had no one to pick up, as they were all unreachable, buried/ trapped beneath d rubbles, screaming for help!
Caterpillars and construction cranes came later and worked till dawn. By 6am 4 bodies were recovered: A young man, his mother living with him, his 2 kids (a boy and girl).
Miraculously his young wife(mother of the kids) came out alive, with fractures to both legs, together with 2 other young men.
Many other young men, construction workers on the building and numbering up to 8 were feared stil trapped beneath the rubbles.
Finally for the poster who queried why the construction worker should be arrested: it should interest y'all that the owner of the collapsed building is one of the richest business men in Umuahia and the leading dealer in BUILDING MATERIALS (RODS, CEMENTS, BLOCKS)....People were outraged to discover he was erecting this building with the worst quality of rods and blocks and on a foundation that probably wasn't meant to carry more than a storey building! This was a 3-decking erected within weeks and he was even thinkin of adding a 4th floor! (Maybe because he wasn't the one going to live inside that house.)
Folks, let's all do things with our consciences!
Sorry for this lengthy post shah...