One Dead, Workers Trapped as Anambra Records Two Building Collapses in One Week
Tragedy struck Anambra State this week as two separate building collapses were recorded in less than seven days, leaving one person dead, several others injured, and fears that more workers remain trapped under debris.
The first incident occurred on Tuesday morning in Onitsha, when a two-storey residential building located at Akpaka GRA Phase II (33) came crashing down around 9 a.m. According to police reports, two occupants were rescued from the rubble, but one of them was later confirmed dead at the hospital. The second victim is said to be in stable condition and receiving treatment. The deceased’s remains have been deposited for autopsy, while rescue teams continue searching the site in case more victims are trapped.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a sudden rumble before the structure gave way. “I managed to crawl out, but I could hear another voice crying for help inside,” one survivor recounted. The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, who visited the scene, expressed condolences to the victim’s family and assured residents that investigations would determine the cause.
Just days earlier, another collapse occurred in Awka, behind the Anambra State House of Assembly in Okpuno, off Ekwueme Square. The three-storey structure, still under construction and at its roofing stage, gave way around 11:40 a.m. while workers were on site. Witnesses said several men were working on the roof when the building suddenly caved in. Rescue efforts were immediately launched, though hampered by the lack of heavy equipment such as excavators. Volunteers and emergency teams were seen digging through the debris by hand.
Although no deaths have been confirmed in the Awka collapse, fears persist that some workers remain trapped. Preliminary assessments by engineering authorities suggest weak concrete mix and poor foundation work as possible causes.
Officials from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), alongside state housing and development agencies, are investigating.
These twin incidents have once again drawn attention to Nigeria’s recurring building safety crisis, often linked to substandard materials, poor supervision, and weak regulatory enforcement.
Residents and civil society groups are already calling on the state government to step up monitoring of construction projects to prevent further tragedies.
As investigations continue, Anambra is left reeling from a week marked by collapsed structures, lost lives, and renewed questions about construction safety in the state.
