Two-storey building collapses in Anambra, no life lost

A two-storey residential building has collapsed in Anambra but no life was lost.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state, Mr Chijioke Ojukwu, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Monday.

Ojukwu said that the building, located at Inyaba-Umudim Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area, reportedly collapsed on Sunday.

The commissioner, who visited the scene for on-the-site assessment, described the incident as unfortunate.

He, however, expressed joy that no fatality had been recorded in the incident.

He said that notice had been served on occupants of a nearby three-storey building for their safety and to make way for an integrity test on the building.

According to Ojukwu, the buildings in the neighborhood will be subjected to a mandatory integrity test and those that failed the test would be demolished.

“The building was poorly constructed, it was built without the requisite approval of the ministry.

“It was built on a wall fence of an existing three-storey building by a developer.

“We will evacuate all the occupants of the three-store building, which shares the same compound with the collapsed building.

“We have not been able to confirm, if there was any casualty,” Ojukwu said.

He said there would be statewide demolition of buildings that rest on perimeter fences of existing buildings, those that violate set back rules or without the requisite approval.