A three-storey building under construction at No. 16 Nnobi Street, Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state collapsed yesterday.
The building with 13 flats and a penthouse completely roofed since two years ago crumbled at about 6.40am.
The owner of the building,one Paschal Eneh from Udi town in Udi local government area, currently resides in South Africa.
The State Commissioners for Lands and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam and Engr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, visited the scene shortly after the incident. They said the building collapsed owing to structural defects.
They said the developer did not get the approval of the Enugu Town Planning Authority, he went beyond government’s specification of a maximum of two-storey building for the area.
Sunday Trust learnt that the government had issued a stop-work order on the building several times, but it was ignored by the developer who reportedly went beyond the specified limit to erect four floors and a penthouse on the top-most floor.
Ujam said that the State Waste Management Agency, ESWAMA was invited to move in their earthmoving equipment to evacuate the debris in order to determine whether anybody was in the house before it collapsed even though the house was not habitable.
“It is very unfortunate; we thank God that at least there was no casualties but we are conducting investigations to ensure that miscreants or homeless people are not inside the rubble. What has happened is a structural failure of a building. Evidently there must have been some structural problems in the foundation or the columns and slabs, beams, they are inferior and not up to what they should be.
“I am also aware that this particular structure was in default of the Town Planning rules and regulations having been constructed in excess of the approved number of floors. It is a vindication of government’s intention to bring to very close scrutiny applications for buildings to make sure that integrity intended is what is given out. So, getting the approval is one thing but sticking to what is approved is another thing. We are going to be more stringent in our inspectorate arms in the Ministry of Lands and the Town Planning Authority. We want to make sure that all the citizens of Enugu live in secured homes,” Ugwuegede said.
By press time, the excavator from ESWAMA was still removing the rubble but no human being was found although those living in the neighbourhood expressed fears that some miscreants who normally smoke cigarettes and hard drugs in the uncompleted building could be present at the time of collapse.
However, Ujam said the property would be revoked for violating town planning regulations. He also said a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the collapse.
