Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Anambra State Council, has said that substandard materials and poor foundation were behind the building collapse that claimed seven lives in Onitsha, the commercial city of the State.
The COREN State Chairman, Engr. Victor Meju, disclosed this while briefing Journalists shortly after inspecting the scene of the incident on Tuesday.
He said the regulatory body would not relent in its effort to curb the menace of quackery in the state and the country at large.
While consoling the victims’ families, Meju urged Nigerians, when embarking on such a massive building project should keep behind political, ethnic and religious sentiment and consult the council for proper orientation.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the three-storey building under construction located at Ochanja, a section of the Onitsha market collapsed at about 6 pm on Monday.
The situation has created panic around the area as efforts were being made by the state government, passers-by and residents to rescue other trapped victims from the rubbles.
The Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Barrister Chike Mmaduekwe, who also spoke at the scene of the incident, said such thing wouldn’t have happened if proper procedures were followed.
He announced that between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, a total of seven persons have so far been confirmed dead and 20 others rescued with various levels of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital around the market.
Meanwhile, the State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has visited the site to inspect the extent of damages and the cause of the incident.
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While at the scene, the governor promised that he will ensure that the victims of the collapsed building receive justice.
Soludo who was visibly angry at the scene said he was not aware that the building was going on at the market.
He said, “When investigations are completed, the developer, the Chairman of the market and every other person involved in the disaster will be prosecuted and jailed.
“The remaining building under construction by the same developer, near the collapsed one will be demolished immediately after rescue operations on the site had been completed.”
Soludo also instructed that any development in any market in Anambra State without his express approval will be demolished while vowing that every other existing building must pass through an integrity test.
