Mother, daughter die in Anambra three-storey building collapse

A mother and her 14-year-old daughter perished when a three-story construction site building collapsed in Anata Anaba, Okpoko, within Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State. The tragic incident took place around 9:45 pm on Wednesday, trapping the woman and her daughter inside their apartment adjacent to the fallen building.

Witnesses reported that the structure emitted a loud noise prior to its walls cracking and subsequently collapsing, causing residents to flee in panic. Some others who were trapped in the debris were saved by emergency responders and transported to the hospital. According to an eyewitness, the woman and her daughter were in their apartment in a neighboring bungalow when the construction site came down on them.

Some residents had previously raised concerns about the unsuitability of the waterlogged land for a three-story building, citing the initial engineer's recommendation to limit the structure to two floors. However, this advice was disregarded, and the building was eventually constructed to three stories. The victim's son, Chimobi, stated that three members of his family were present in the apartment when the structure collapsed, leaving no chance for them to escape.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, confirmed the incident on Thursday, describing it as unfortunate. He blamed the collapse on the use of substandard materials and emphasized that the authorities had previously issued a stop-work notice on the building, which was ignored.