THREE persons were feared killed while some were trapped when a two-storey building collapsed at Kwata junction, Awka, on the Onitsha-Enugu expressway.
The incident happened the day the body of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu was being received at Ekwueme Square, Awka.
Rescue operators from the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the state police command, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) and National Security and Defence Corps quickly mobilised and moved cranes to rescue the victims.
One Friday Awo, who escaped unscathed, said out of the 15 persons in the building, seven were lucky to have escaped, adding that he would have been among the victims if he and four others had not gone out to eat.
He said though the first contractor handling construction works on the building had stopped work, another contractor started on Monday, while he blamed the shoddy job by the first contactor for the collapse.
Chief Lawrence Chinwuba, Governor Peter Obi’s Special Adviser on Housing and Urban Development, described the incident as unfortunate.
He said the incident should not have happened the day the late Ojukwu was being honoured.
According to him, “we were at Alex Ekwueme square when I was called and when I came, I saw the legs of some people that were trapped.
He noted that the incident could be as a result of sub standard materials.
As of the time of filing the roport, Chinwuba said it was difficult to ascertain the number of causalties.
Those injured were taken to the general hospital Amaku, Awka by a combined team of FRSC and SEMA officials.
An eyewitness, Me Christian Ezenwafor (a structural engineer) said the incident happened as a result of the additional 16mm rod imposed on a lighter 12mm one which was used at the commencement of the building construction.
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