By Okey Maduforo Awka.
Scores of persons are currently being trapped in a three storey building that collapsed at the heart of Awka Capital City.
It is not clear yet the number of of people trapped in the building but it has been confirmed that many workers were in the building when it collapsed.
The incident took place at the highbrow business area of Awka town along the busy Enugu-Awka- Onitsha expressway.
Unspecific number of construction workers were said to have been trapped under the rubbles of the collapsed building.
As at the time of this report, an ambulance and fire fighters were seen battling to rescue those trapped even as no single caterpillar nor other rescue equipment was seen at the site.
Large number of sympathizers including motorists traveling to and fro Onitsha and Enugu as well as other places were forces to stop to take a look at the ugly sight while traders and workers who closed their work and businesses besides the area to behold the sight of the collapsed property.
The building worth several millions of Naira was said to have reached roofing stage before it went down in rubbles.
Eyewitness said that some workers were working inside the building when it collapsed.
According to one of them, “I saw them carrying materials up the building. They were about 5 of them. There was also a security man.
”Earlier in the day, they had come to buy things at my shop and I sold to them,” the eyewitness commented.
Another eye witness, Monday Ibeh, also corroborated the claim that the building had some persons trapped.
He stated that the fresh mixer equipment at the front of the building and other equipments imply indicates that there were others trapped.
The Occupants of nearby residential buildings revealed that in the past few weeks, work on the structure had intensified resulting in the finishing level of the complex.
A resident nearby the building who would not want his name on print recalled how the initial owner of the building leased it to a certain business tycoon, who is currently developing it.
He said that it appeared the new developer failed to do the necessary reinforcements at the foundation, before taking the structure up to the third floor, resulting in its collapse.
A lady who gave her name simply as Prisca disclosed that they just heard a loud noise, only to come out and see the entire tall building leveled at aground .
She noted that the quality of the concrete mixture used for the building was substandard, while it appeared the roads were not the right specification for a building as high as the third floor.
As of the time of this report, no equipment for rescue operation has arrived the scene, except ambulance and fire truck.
