The Anambra State Enforcement Team of the State Physical Planning Board has sealed the site of the collapsed five-storey building in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state. The building, located near the palace of the traditional ruler of the town, which was said to be under construction, collapsed late on Thursday.
The cause of the collapse was not stated, but eyewitness attributed it to the soft nature of the land. The government’s team led by the Executive Chairman of the Board, Mr Chike Maduekwe, sealed the site on Friday and said investigation into the cause of the collapse will commence immediately. He added that the developer will be arrested and made to face the law.
The team also sealed off some sites at the Oba Airport whose structures did not have requisite government approvals.
The President, Umuogali village, Oba, Dr. Kingsley Obasoanya, blamed the collapse on the incompetence of the workers as he observed that the job was awarded to quacks and promised to personally arrest the site engineer and hand them over to the relevant authorities for disciplinary measures.
Although, when contacted, the state police spokesman, Ikenga Tochukwu, said there was no casualty as the workers in the site had gone home before the incident happened.
He said, “Nobody was trapped neither was there any loss of life in the incident. The area has been cordoned off and our operatives are currently on the ground to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.”
But some eyewitnesses, who spoke to our correspondent, revealed that several of the workers were inside as of the time the building caved in while some said all the workers reported to duty this morning.
