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Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
About six workers were trapped as a three-storey building under construction collapsed, yesterday, at Ezenwa Street in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Two workers were rescued from the wreckage and rushed to a hospital by the Nigerian Red Cross Society, while others, including the site engineer, were still trapped.
At press time, a pay-loader and other equipment to be used for the rescue had not arrived the scene.
Helpless officials of the Red Cross team, police, road safety corps, other security agents and volunteers were unable to proceed on rescue mission.
Leader of the rescue team and Chairman of Anambra State of Nigerian Red Cross Society, Prof. Peter Emeka Katchy, said they could not get to others trapped as no equipment had arrived, making it difficult to get to those at the ground floor.
He said the actual cause of the collapse could not be ascertained, but suspected the use of substandard materials.
“A building under construction has collapsed and some people including the site engineer, were trapped. But along the line, we were able to rescue two persons and rushed them to the hospital.
“Others are still there because we are waiting for earth moving equipment to assist in lifting the debris of the building, so that those trapped would be rescued.”
On the number of people still trapped, Katchy said: “Speculatively, they are six, but we have rescued two and the other ones are still there and alive.
“Every effort now is how to use an excavator or pay-loader equipment to rescue those still trapped.
“We are calling on construction companies around or anybody that has earth moving equipment to bring it in order to rescue those trapped.
“We are suspecting that the materials being using were substandard or the foundation weak, among other things.”
A trader opposite the collapsed building, Daniel Chukwu, said they heard a sound, after which the building came down completely.
