A hotel owner, Mr. Andrew Isesere, was confirmed dead after a building under construction collapsed on him in the Idumoza community of Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area.
The tragic incident occurred while Isesere was inside the structure, which was still being built. His body was later recovered from the rubble by emergency responders on Sunday morning.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, noting that over 20 construction workers narrowly escaped with their lives. Several of them sustained injuries and were rescued with help from local residents before medical assistance arrived.
Community members blamed the collapse on substandard construction materials and lack of professional oversight. One local resident, Mr. Andrew Inegbebor, alleged that the deceased handled the project himself without hiring qualified engineers.
“He was advised many times,” Inegbebor said. “Instead of using 16mm rods, he used 12mm. The pillars had no base baskets. The whole structure was weak from the start.”
Locals expressed sadness over the incident, especially as Isesere had been repeatedly warned about the risks. Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the collapse to prevent similar occurrences.
