Rescue teams continued excavations after a four-storey building under construction fell in Independence Layout, Enugu, leaving one person dead and several others trapped, authorities said. The site, at the junction of Ogbaru Street and Alvan Ikokwu Street, has yielded three survivors who were pulled from the rubble so far, while excavators worked to determine whether more people remained beneath the debris.
An official involved in the rescue and excavation told reporters that the exact number of those affected was not yet established and that initial casualty figures were drawn from a third-party source. He linked the collapse to suspected structural defects and said the site had previously been sealed by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, after an inspection found serious flaws in the building’s design.
“We found out that the column distributions were faulty,” the official said, describing columns that had been added on beams without proper rooting or anchorage to the foundation. He also cited visible problems with poor mixing of materials and other construction deficiencies.
The official said he was concerned construction activity appeared to have continued at the sealed site. Authorities first believed the work observed after the sealing involved mainly the installation of air-conditioning ducts and pipes, and they could not at once confirm substantial rebuilding had resumed. Excavation and investigation on site are ongoing to establish the full extent of the incident and to ensure there are no additional victims trapped under the wreckage.
Efforts to reach the chairman of ECTDA, Hon. Uche Anya, for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls. The collapse has revived questions about adherence to building standards and the effectiveness of enforcement of construction regulations in Enugu State. Investigators and rescue crews remain on site as they continue to search and assess structural risks.
