A one-storey building under reconstruction in Umuahia, Abia State has collapsed, with the building contractor and his lines men escaping death by whiskers.
The house, situated at Uwalaka street by Uzuakoli road junction, Umuahia collapsed at about 9:pm on Thursday night, three hours after the men working in the site had closed from work.
Fortunately for the workers, the house caved in at night.
The cause of the incident was not immediately known but some civil engineers who visited the scene blamed it on substandard materials as well as disregard to the initial building approvals.
It was gathered the owner of the house recently contracted a builder to affect some structural changes, including the expansion of upper blocks, installation rear pillars and thicker roofing sheets.
An eye witness, Geraldine Mrs Uzunma said she was taking her bath in the nearby compound when she heard a terrifying sound, followed by heavy dust.
“I rushed out of the bathroom half-clad and gathered my children to flee, thinking our area has been bombed by hoodlums.”
Mrs added that customers and workers in Capital supermarket which share fence with the collapsed structure, also escaped harm as the crashing house fell to the left corner.
Meanwhile, efforts by News Echo to identify the owner of the house was not successful but some officials of Abia State ministry of housing who visited the scene told the paper on Friday that both the owner of the house and his contractor would be queried while the site is expected to be sealed up until after investigation.
She said many souls would have been lost if the house fell in the day hours, as according to her, about seven persons worked in the site daily.