In a tragic incident at Ekeoyibo market, Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, a two-storey building under construction collapsed on Thursday, leading to the death of two individuals and injuring several others.
According to PUNCH, it was reported that the building, which housed traders and shop owners, suddenly collapsed around noon, trapping some individuals inside. The spokesman for the Anambra Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the fatalities and stated that the injured were receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Ikenga explained, “Two persons were found dead after rescue operations were concluded. Some other trapped victims, rescued alive, are still receiving treatment at the hospital.”
He added that rescue operations were conducted late into the night by state emergency responders, with security operatives maintaining order. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations led the on-the-spot assessment. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.
This incident follows a series of recent building collapses in Anambra State, including a five-storey building collapse at Dennis Memorial Grammar School that killed one person last month and a collapse at Ochanja Market in Onitsha four months ago that resulted in six deaths and 20 injuries. Despite several panels and committees set up to investigate these incidents, no conclusive findings have been released.
Although the Anambra state government has yet to issue an official statement on the latest collapse, the site has been cordoned off, and some traders were seen loitering around the area. Eyewitnesses and traders suggested that more than two people might have died and blamed substandard building materials and persistent rainfall for the collapse.
A trader named Uche recounted, “The building suddenly crumbled, burying some traders under the debris. It did not give any sign before it happened. More than two persons were brought out dead and several others were alive during the rescue operations that lasted late into the night.”
Another eyewitness, Nwafor, shared a personal loss: “One of the persons killed was my neighbor, a civil defense officer with four children. He was in the market to buy some commodities. I greeted him in the morning before heading to work. The building collapsed around noon. It’s devastating.”
Many stakeholders have called for a thorough investigation to prevent further tragedies. Efforts to speak with market leaders about the incident were unsuccessful, as they declined to comment.
