8-story building gave way in Nigeria: At least 2 casualties

Two people have been reported dead after an 8-story building collapsed in the city of Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

The incident occurred on April 30, 2020. The building was under construction and was occupied by more than 40 people, with many of them being workers, when it gave way.

The construction works were during the concrete production and pouring process when the building suddenly collapsed. “We are up to 20 in number, we have those mixing cement. We have those pouring cement. There are plenty of people. We pray that God will help them come out alive,” one of laborers said.

Emergency crews rushed at the scene and initiated rescue operations in search of people trapped under the rubble.

According to information provided by Damaris Osunkwo, Imo’s Commissioner for Health, 2 people have been reported dead, 14 have been rescued and more than 25 are still under the debris. From those people rescued, 7 have been hospitalized after suffering injuries.

The structure was intended to become a hotel when completed but, according to authorities, it had remained under construction for a long time period.

The causes of the collapse have not been announced yet. However, there were severe defects that could have led to the failure. According to a report, the pillars of the building were not adequate to withstand the weight of the massive structure.

Another worker that survived the incident described hearing intense cracking around the pillars of the building. “I was very close to the building when I heard a crack around the pillars and I started running and before you know it is like a sound of a bomb. The story building fell down,” he stated.

Moreover, there had been complaints about cracking in some sections of the structure days before the total collapse. The engineer in charge of the building operation had claimed that the issue would be resolved.

Such failures are not unprecedented in Nigeria. Back in 2016, a 5-story building that was also under construction gave way resulting in 34 fatalities in the city Lagos, located in southwestern Nigeria. The failure followed a period of intense rainfalls. The contractors of the construction were blamed for the incident as they continued raising floors above the approved limit issued by the Nigerian government.

In March 2014, a 4-story building accommodating a school on its top floor gave way causing at least 10 casualties. The stability of the building had been deteriorating as intense cracking appeared and authorities had plans to demolish it. However, it was still operative when the unfortunate incident occurred.