Council for the Registration of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), has confirmed two persons killed in Anambra State building collapsed.
The building is owned by one Chief Barrister Frank Chijioke Elendu, the Council noted.
According to information obtained by Tribune Online, the two-story building that collapsed and killed two workers at the construction site in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, was being removed when its second floor allegedly had a defect.
A source said: “Two persons lost their lives in the building collapse in Ibolo, Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The deceased were said to be working at the two storey facility when the incident occurred at the early hours of Friday.
“The Engineer in charge had instructed the workers to remove the second floor which was not properly constructed.
“It was in course of the removal that the building caved in.”
It was learnt that as at Saturday morning, one of the deceased workers had been removed from the debris, while the other was still yet to be found.
The State Chairman of COREN, Engr. Victor Onyeanyana Meju, responded further in a statement made available to journalists in Awka on Sunday. He said the collapsed structure claimed the lives of two carpenters who were roofing the building.
Meju claims that he, other State Technical Committee of the Engineering members Regulation and Monitoring Inspectorate Anambra State visited the site of the collapsed twin two storey building owned by Chief Barr. Frank Chijioke Elendu which claimed two lives (Carpenters roofing the building).
“The structure which was contracted to Gumec Construction Company collapsed at about 17:55Hours of 22/09/2022.
“The building which is still under construction commenced two years ago. The Committee while in the course of their preliminary and visual site seeing noted unprofessional practices which are against Engineering Codes and Standards in the country and beyond.
“Samples of concrete, rods, blocks and other aggregates from the site have been collected for proper laboratory test to ascertain their strengths.
“The State Technical Committee of the Engineering Regulation and Monitoring Inspectorate and the Anambra State Physical Planning Board has since sealed the site,” he added.
