FOUR-STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSES IN ABA AS TEN OCCUPANTS ESCAPE DEATH IN EARLY MORNING INCIDENT

Tragedy was narrowly averted in the early hours of Tuesday in Aba, Abia State, when a four-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed, leaving ten occupants, including the owner and his family, miraculously unhurt.

The incident, which occurred around 5 a.m. at No. 7 Nwaso Street, off Port Harcourt Road by Imperial Junction in the Aba South Local Government Area, sent shockwaves across the neighborhood as residents woke up to the sound of a massive crash.

Eyewitnesses account said the victims, who were asleep on the ground floor, escaped death by a stroke of luck as the upper floors of the building caved in, leaving only the ground floor standing. Neighbours said the collapse happened moments before dawn, disrupting early morning prayers.

According to one of the residents, the building gave off strange creaking sounds before it came crashing down. 

“My wife said she heard strange noises around 5 a.m. We looked around but saw nothing unusual. 

“Suddenly, there was a deafening noise, and everywhere was covered in dust,” the neighbour narrated.

Preliminary findings revealed that construction workers had worked on the fourth floor a day before the incident and left their tools behind, planning to continue the next morning. The ill-fated structure, which had been under construction for more than 15 years, was reportedly being modified and expanded by the owner.

Officials from the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) swiftly moved to the scene and sealed off the premises. Samples of building materials, including blocks and iron rods, were taken for quality testing, while the entire area was cordoned off to prevent unauthorized access.

Some residents who spoke to journalists suggested that the collapse might have resulted from structural weaknesses due to prolonged construction, substandard materials, or poor concrete mixing. 

However, authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the incident. Although no lives were lost, several vehicles parked close to the building sustained varying degrees of damage from falling debris.

As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Abia State Emergency Management Agency (ABSEMA) and other relevant bodies were on-site to assess the extent of damage and ensure public safety, while investigations into the cause of the collapse continue.