13th April, 2012
No fewer than six labourers working at a building site in Ilorin, Kwara State, were seriously injured on Thursday when the structure suddenly collapsed.
The building, which was under construction on Coca-Cola road in the metropolis, collapsed at about noon, trapping six of the labourers at the site.
An eyewitness, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that no life was lost in the incident.
The injured victims were also said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
NAN gathered at the site that the use of inferior materials and non-adherence to the building plan were responsible for the collapse of the edifice.
Mr. Bolaji Akanbi, a resident of the area, told NAN that the sub-structure pillars, which held the two-storey building, were not strong.
“The pillars were so tiny and weak that they could not hold the building. It is quite an unfortunate situation,” he said.
Mr. Olatunji Osanusi, the Chief Inspector of the Ilorin zone of Engineering Regulation and Monitoring Unit of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering, blamed the collapse on incompetent technicians.
“The havoc would have been worse if the building had been completed for habitation,” Osanusi, who came to inspect the building, said.
He, however, said the council could not come up with any official report until the materials used in the building were put to test.
Osanusi, who was accompanied by other inspectors in the unit, promised to get to the root of the matter by discreet investigation.
He also said any engineer found wanting in the incident would be sanctioned by the council.
Confirming the development, Mr. Elijah Kutai, Acting Executive Secretary of Kwara Town Planning and Development Authority, claimed that the structure was not approved by the Authority.
He said the engineer in charge of the project did not meet the condition set for approval, adding that work was proceeding at the site in defiance of the Authority.
“It is an unfortunate situation that is not expected at the time.
“We have a team of building inspectors that go out on daily basis to monitor building structures to ensure that inferior materials are not used and plans are followed, ” he said.
NAN also recalls that a similar building collapsed on Saturday at the Deeper life Church Ground at Eyekonrin, Ilorin, where no fewer than five worshippers died.