over the weekend when a section of a three-
storey building under construction suddenly
collapsed, allegedly killing two persons and
leaving three others severely wounded.
The building, located opposite the NNPC Mega
filling station on Sapele Road, was said to have
collapsed when the weather was bright and
sunny and devoid of the wetness from
downpour that often flood the capital city on
daily basis since the rainy season began.
According to reports, the victims were pouring
concrete on a cantilever projection on the third
floor when the form-work apparently caved in,
owing to alleged poor and substandard work.
Reports have it that both the survivors and the
dead were hired by a contractor to do the two-
day job at N3, 000 per day for each worker.
One of the deceased who was simply identified
as Mike, sustained a deep cut in the chest, when
he and his colleagues fell from the third floor to
the ground, where they were allegedly smashed
by concrete slabs.
He was said to have been rushed to the Central
Hospital in Benin and he was confirmed dead
there.
An eyewitness said the other victim allegedly
gave up the ghost in hospital. Effort to confirm
his identity was, however, not successful as at
the time of filing this report.
For one of the workers, Sunday Oniuvusa, a
graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Benin who sustained injury, he
described himself as lucky to have survived the
building collapse.
“Some of the blocks that fell prevented the
planks on the ground from harming us; I was
lucky. But in the boy’s case, there was nothing
to protect him so one of the planks pierced his
chest,” Oniuvusa said.
The supervisor of the project, Mr. Morris
Omoregie, in an interaction with Sunday Mirror
at the hospital, blamed the collapse incident on
a different contractor, noting that the remains
of the deceased had been deposited in a
mortuary, while those injured were still
receiving treatment.
He said, “I am directly involved because I lost
someone. I called them to place the concrete
and their form-work collapsed. The form-work
was supposed to hold everything until 21 days.
They are my persons.
“I am the one handling their medical bills so
far,” the supervisor added.