Tragedy struck at Anata Anaba, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State after a three-storey building under construction collapsed on a nearby residential bungalow, killing a mother and her 14-year-old daughter.
The victims were identified as Mrs Happiness Ugoagu and her daughter, Chikaima. They were reportedly asleep in their apartment when the structure caved in at about 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The building reportedly made a loud cracking sound before collapsing, throwing residents into panic. Eyewitnesses said some other persons trapped in the rubble were later rescued by emergency responders and rushed to hospital.
Residents told the Anambra Broadcasting Service that the land is waterlogged and that an engineer initially engaged for the project had advised that construction should not exceed two storeys due to soil conditions. They alleged the advice was ignored and another engineer was brought in to raise the building to three storeys.
The son of the deceased, Chimobi, said he had also raised concerns about the building before the incident.
Reacting to the development, the Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, visited the scene and described the incident as unfortunate.
The Commissioner said preliminary findings showed the use of substandard materials and disclosed that a stop-work notice had earlier been issued on the property. He described the building as illegal and ordered its demolition, alongside other unapproved structures under construction in the area.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over compliance with building regulations and enforcement of stop-work orders in the state.
