Anambra: Building collapse kills mother, teen daughter

Two tragic lives were lost in Anata Anaba, Okpoko, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, when a three-storey building under construction collapsed on Wednesday evening. The mother and her 14-year-old daughter were trapped inside their apartment after the structure collapsed, its walls cracking before the building came crashing down.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud noise prior to the collapse, causing panic among residents. Some others trapped in the rubble were rescued by an emergency response team and taken to the hospital. Concerns had been raised about the waterlogged nature of the land and the building's unsuitability for a three-storey construction.

The engineer who initially handled the project had advised limiting it to two floors, but this warning was ignored. An engineer was later engaged to continue the project to three storeys. The landlady and her youngest child perished in the incident, with the woman's son, Chimobi, lamenting that they had earlier warned the builder about the danger posed by the structure, but their concerns were not heeded.

The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, described the collapse as unfortunate and blamed it on the use of substandard materials. He added that the authorities had issued a stop-work notice on the building and are investigating other unapproved constructions in the area.