Corps Members Injured, Two Babies, Others Die In Imo Building Collapse

Four people were killed and many injured on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo state capital when a 3 storeyed building collapsed

Among the deceased were a year and six months old girl, Osinachi Nnabu; a three-year-old boy, identified only as Amara, and two adults, whose identities could not be ascertained as of press time.

Osinachi’s parents and one Sunday Uzohor, survived with minor injuries and were discharged after first aid treatments.

But two serving members of the National Youth Service Corps and a 40-year-old man, identified simply as Mr. Anoruo, were unconscious as doctors at the police clinic, Owerri, battled to save their lives.

While the male corps member was identified as Chinedu, his female counterpart, whose name had yet to be ascertained, was said to be a Law graduate who was said to be undertaking her one year compulsory youth service in the state capital.

The rescue of the corps members took about eight hours, as they were reportedly buried in the rubble.

They still had signs of life when they were eventually rescued.

Mr. Dominic Nnabu, the father of one of the dead babies, said his family had barely spent two months in the building when it collapsed.

“It is very painful that our 18 months old child, Osinachi, died in such a painful and agonising manner,” he added.

The state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, told newsmen that preliminary investigation showed that the collapse was caused by shoddy job done by the engineering team.

Ezike noted that the command would prosecute all those responsible for the disaster.