One person was confirmed dead after a building under construction collapsed in Abuja on Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency said, but residents say at least 10 persons remained under the rubble.
At a press conference Saturday, Mustapha Maihaja, the director general of NEMA said besides the single fatality, one other person was critically injured and five others rescued alive at the site in Jabi, Abuja.
But residents rejected the claim, and complained about the rescue effort.
On Friday evening, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo visited the scene and commended rescue efforts.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Musa Bello, expressed sadness over the collapse when he also visited.
Rescue efforts were carried out by NEMA, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Road Safety Corporation, police and other security agencies and fire service.
Earlier reports said two people died but NEMA said that could not be confirmed.
But multiple witnesses insisted that more than 10 people were trapped in the debris as at Saturday morning when rescue efforts ended.
“From the beginning, the rescue mission was at zero level because everything has a plan,” said Nonso Amado, a building technologist.
“The collapsed slab is supposed to be cut and then pulled out, the pillars and beans too. NEMA tried but there is no structural or rescue engineer on site.
“They were just doing as if it was our first time experiencing this kind of collapse or if we inherited this in Nigeria. They were supposed to have a good strategy. The first D7 caterpillar that was brought could not lift a pillar.
“The sad thing is that the people are still trapped inside, the owner of the building is no where to be found.”
Some bystanders including policemen who have been monitoring the rescue mission also spoke.
“Food sellers are under here, workers, the concrete mixers and there concrete mixing machines are still under there. Where are they? ” one of the police officers asked rhetorically.
“At least let them bring out the concrete mixing machine so we know they have tried,” another officer quipped. “They didn’t do a perfect job.”
“One woman was calling from inside, she said the heat was too much but now her number is no longer reachable,” a bystander noted.
“They even helped to bury this people deeper into the ground because they only concentrated on the surface.”
Mr Nonso, the building technologist also gave a possible analysis as to what led to the collapse.
“This building has been here for more than 15 years. The bearing of the land has problem. If the engineer knows that the bearing cannot carry the casting of foundation, they should have done more reinforcement before continuing.
“I tested the concrete and noticed a loss in the strength of the material. The ratio of mixing is not standard. The reinforcement from one level to the other is not standard.”
He said the FCDA and other agencies did not do a proper check on the construction.
“FCDA might have done foundation test and first flow test but obviously didn’t complete test on the other floors.
“They should have given a stop work order if they noticed the plan is not corresponding with what is on ground.
“They should also be coming here from time to time to question why this construction is poorly managed like this but obviously they didn’t.”
Mustapha Maihaja made the official confirmation on Saturday in Abuja to clarify the conflicting figures on the numbers of death and those injured from the unfortunate incident.
He officially called off the rescue operation after the Search and Rescue team confirmed that there was no remaining body buried under the rubbles of the collapsed building.
He said that one of the six injured persons was in critical condition and was receiving adequate medical attention.
Maihaja said that professionals were deployed to the scene, trained personnel and facilities were also mobilized to ensure a thorough job.
“The incidence happened unannounced, the FCT Emergency Management Agency that is responsible responded promptly.
“ All other stakeholders brought their support to assist them and a good work has been done to rescue those that were trapped.
“It is an uncompleted building that was abandoned for a long time and I was made to understand that there were no people living there, only the illegal occupants were there.
“Seven people were brought out, one was certified dead, one severely wounded among those injured
“This is a professional job, professionals were deployed here. They professionally combed the whole site and they could not find any other than what they were able to get.
“I think when a professional speak we should respect their opinion,’’ Maihaja said.
It was further learnt that those injured were immediately rushed to the Gwarinpa General Hospital for treatment after which they were referred to Zankli Hospital, Jabi.
The corpse of the victim has, however, been deposited at the Asokoro General Hospital.
To avoid reoccurrence of such unfortunate incidences, some stakeholders have called for the need for professionalism and proper inspection of buildings under constructions by the relevant agencies.
Mr Agboola Abolade of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, called for the need to engage professionals in construction to avoid unfortunate incidences as a collapse.
He explained that from the inspection on the site it was very likely that the kind of concrete mix that was used in constructing must have been below the standard specified in the design.
“By looking at the nature of the rubbles we have here, you can see that it is likely that the kind of concrete mix used was below the standard.
“If the mix was done properly we should have had a partial collapse.
“Even if the foundation gave way, other parts of the building could have been standing.
“Normally, since the building has been abandoned for a long time the concrete was supposed to get stronger over the years due to the incurring process of water and air,’’ Abolade said.
NAN/Premium Times
