‘At least one dead’ as two-storey building collapses in Rivers

At least one labourer has reportedly died in a two-story building which collapsed in Aluu community in Rivers.

According to preliminary investigations, the building collapsed on Saturday owing to the use of substandard building materials.

Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police spokesperson, confirmed the incident to TheCable, noting that “only one labourer died as a result of the incident.”

On Sunday, Ngene James, the head of the disaster management rescue team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Rivers, said “three labourers died in the building collapse.”

He said the property has been sealed off to ensure a detailed investigation is carried out on the cause of the incident.

“Upon arrival at the disaster scene, we joined in the joint rescue operation by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and sister security agencies.

“Three labourers working at the construction site lost their lives.

“Preliminary investigation showed that the two-storey building collapsed as a result of the use of low-quality iron rods and other materials in its construction,’’ he said.

He advised property owners to be wary of quacks and desperate building contractors who care only about their pockets rather than safety.