Three persons, comprising two female children and a woman, were confirmed dead yesterday, in the collapse of a building in Okpanam, a suburb of Asaba, the Delta State capital.
A statement from the Delta State Police Command, PPRO, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the death of the three persons, adding that eleven injured persons were still receiving treatment, while four others have been discharged.
“Rescue Operation is over, 18 person rescued initially, four person’s discharged, 11 person’s still receiving treatment, three deaths recorded which include two female children and one woman, their names unknown for now. Kindly debunk the rumours making (the) rounds that ten people died, that’s not correct,” DSP Edafe stated.
Meanwhile, The New Diplomat has learnt that the collapsed building, which houses other occupants apart from the Salvation Ministries Worship Centre, was sold to a new owner who, without consideration for the strength of the foundation, embarked on reconstruction to increase the accommodation.
It was gathered that it was while the reconstruction was on, that the building collapsed trapping over a 100 members of the Salvation Ministries Church who were waiting to take Holy Communion.
It would be recalled that on September 12, 2020, a storey building under construction in Asaba also collapsed leaving one person dead and four others injured. Also at Ughelli, a boy identified as Gbenga, who just finished his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), was knocked down by a collapsing fence along Damure street in Ughelli, killing him instantly.
The New Diplomat learnt that in September 2020, the Delta State Government sealed off 15 buildings in Asaba, to reduce the incidence of building collapse in the state.
The Premium Online reported that the Delta State Taskforce Chairman, Chidi Nwuko, embarked on Operation Show Your Building Plan, adding that the enforcement of the order became necessary to stem the tide of building collapse, protect the environment and ensure adherence to proper planning.
