A three-storey building under construction has collapsed in the Enugu metropolis, Enugu State.
The building on Ezeluike Street, Olympic Layout, off One Day Street, Agbani Road, Awkunanaw, in the Enugu South Local Government Area of the state, collapsed on Sunday around 8.20pm.
Although no casualty was recorded, WE4WE REPORTS gathered that the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority since November 2019 due to its non-approval.
An official of the ECTDA, who gave his name as Levi Obi, told our correspondent that the agency did not issue approval for the building, adding that the structure, among other property, would have been demolished last week, but action was suspended due to the lockdown order to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
Officials of the ECTDA, the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Enugu State Fire Service were quickly mobilised to the scene for rescue operations.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, could not confirm the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Ndukwe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told our correspondent on the telephone that he had yet to get an official report about the incident.
“I received one other call about the incident this morning (Monday). I don’t have an official report about the incident, but let me make enquiries and I will get back to you,” he said.
He had yet to get back to our correspondent as of press time.
Meanwhile, the ECTDA has said it will commence the evaluation of the structural integrity and stability of all buildings in the state capital from Friday, April 10, 2020.
The Executive Chairman, ECTDA, Dr Josef Onoh, said in a statement that the exercise would be conducted by a technical team from the agency and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Enugu State branch.
Onoh stated, “The ECTDA shall comply with the recommendations to be made at the end of the exercise; where any structure fails the integrity test, the developer/owner shall be given a reasonable time not exceeding 60 days to commence reconstruction and ensure that the structure is fit and stable for human habitation.
“In a case where no option is available, such a building shall be demolished instead of putting the lives of the occupants in danger.”
He added that the collapsed building had no approval from the ECTDA and was marked for demolition in July and November 2019, but “unfortunately, the developer continued construction in defiance of the stop-work order issued by our agency.”