A two-story building under construction has collapsed killing three persons Isi Ewu road, Nbodo Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The victims were labourers working at the site when the two-storey building when the collapsed onSaturday evening. Some other were wounded and rushed to the hospital.
For the quick intervention of the Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike and the operatives of the Nigeira Security and Civil Defence Corps, there casualties would have been more.
According to the spokesperson of the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, in a statement on Sunday morning, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Michael Ogar has visited the scene, quoting as attributing the cause of the incident to the use of substandard materials.
Ogar, who was represented by the Head of the Rivers NSCDC Disaster Management Rescue Team, Assistant Commandant, James Ngene, revealed that preliminary investigation revealed that the rods, pillars and blocks used in construction of the two-storey building were far below the required specifications.
The statement reads, “It is high time Nigerians began to take responsibility for their actions most especially when life of humans are involved.
“The collapse of the two-storey building at Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government 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 cares only about their pockets and not the lives of innocent people.
“The Rivers State Commandant lauded the Chairman Ikwerre Local Government Area, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike for mobilising three pay loaders and providing the necessary logistics.
“That effort enhanced the rescuing of the victims and recovery of three corpses during a joint rescue operations by NSCDC, National Emergency Management Agency, other security agencies and well-meaning people who worked tirelessly to savage the situation.”
