At least three individuals were reported dead when a building under construction along Isi Ewu road, Nbodo Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State, collapsed.
It was learned that several people were injured and taken to the hospital in an incident that took place on Saturday evening.
The victims were said to be labourers working on the construction site of the two-storey building when the incident occurred.
It was also alleged that the intervention of Ikwerre Local Government Chairman Dr. Samuel Nwanosike and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel prevented further casualties.
The Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, confirmed the incident in a statement, quoting the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Michael Ogar, who visited the area, and claimed the cause of the incident was due to the use of substandard materials.
Ogar, who was represented by Assistant Commandant James Ngene of the Rivers NSCDC Disaster Management Rescue Team, stated that preliminary investigations found that the rods, pillars, and blocks utilized in the construction of the two-storey building were much below the required standards.
The statement reads, “It is high time Nigerians began to take responsibility for their actions most especially when life of humans are involved.
“The collapse of the two-storey building at Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area could have actually been avoided if standardised materials and right specifications were used.
“Owners of buildings and landlords are hereby advised to be wary of desperate and quack building contractors who cares only about their pockets and not the lives of innocent people.
“The Rivers State Commandant lauded the Chairman Ikwerre Local Government Area, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike for mobilising three pay loaders and providing the necessary logistics.
“That effort enhanced the rescuing of the victims and recovery of three corpses during a joint rescue operations by NSCDC, National Emergency Management Agency, other security agencies and well-meaning people who worked tirelessly to savage the situation.”
Ogar lauded all others who collaborated with NSCDC operatives in the search and rescue operations, saying “the collapsed building environment has now been cordoned and sealed to prevent further disaster.”
It added, “In furtherance to this, the NSCDC Rivers State Command Crisis Management Department will not relent in carrying out sensitisation and awareness programs to warn the public of imminent dangers and precautionary measures needed to avert both man-made and natural disasters in our environment because prevention is better than cure.