In Rivers, three killed in two-storey building collapse

A TWO-STOREY building, which collapsed on Saturday, in Aluu community, Rivers State, Nigeria, has reportedly claimed the lives of three labourers.

  Confirming the incident, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said “only one labourer died as a result of the incident.”

  Meanwhile, the head of the disaster management rescue team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, Ngene James, while reacting on the incident confirmed that three labourers died in the building collapse.

  James said the property has been sealed off to ensure a detailed investigation is carried out on the cause of the incident, adding that preliminary investigations showed that the building collapsed was due to the use of substandard building materials.

  He said, “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.”

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