An uncompleted two storey building, still under construction, in the Marine Quarters axis of Warri, collapsed to the ground on Friday, leaving a huge heap of rubbles.
Although there was no casualty, as there was nobody within the walls of the building as at the time of the incident, at about 1:00pm, the collapsing structure left impacts on two nearby living quarters.
According to sources who were seen at the scene of the incident, labourers working on the building had suspended works in the meantime as a result of the rains, which had been more constant in the last few days.
While those living around the area were seen thanking God that no life was lost, a welder working on the site was also captured evacuating his welding machine and other equipment.
Although it was gathered that the owner of the collapsed building was out of town, a neighbour in the area informed that he (the owner of the building) had refused to engage other professional hands for the construction, saying “he’s both the engineer and the labourer”
The Chairman of Marine Quarters, Mr. Olusegun Awodeyi while addressing Journalists stated that residents in the area had warned the owner of the building that the foundation and other parts of the building are not firm enough due to “substandard materials” used for the construction.
Awodeyi said rather than make use of good and standard materials, the owner of the building once said “we should go away that he knows what he is doing as an engineer”.
He, however, charged the Delta state government to come and take a critical look at another house reportedly belonging to the said owner of the collapsed building to avoid another “building collapse” and possible deaths.
“We don’t want a situation where someone will have to die in this area, government needs to come quickly to take a look at another building belonging to the same man. It was just God who prevented death from this one that has already collapsed”, Awodeyi said.
