A three-storey building under construction in Awka collapsed Thursday morning, trapping several workers beneath debris.
Emergency officials and engineers arrived to investigate suspected structural faults and begin rescue operations.
A three-storey building with four additional suspended floors under construction in Awka, Anambra State, collapsed on Thursday morning, sending panic through the area.
The unfinished structure, located behind the Anambra State House of Assembly off Ekwueme Square, Okpuno, came down at about 11:40 a.m. on September 25, 2025. Witnesses said construction workers were on site when the building gave way, and an unknown number of people were believed to be trapped under the debris.
Residents around the area reported that the building caved in without warning as artisans worked on the roof. They added that the cause of the collapse had not yet been determined but confirmed that government officials arrived shortly after. According to eyewitnesses, rescue work had yet to begin as emergency responders were waiting for excavators and other heavy equipment.
Officials from the state Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Materials Testing Department were already at the scene to investigate the cause of the collapse and assess the damage.
Engr. Victor Meju, Chairman of COREN-ERM in Anambra State, said preliminary checks showed the building was a private project reportedly roofed the previous week. He explained that the collapse appeared to be a “total vertical failure” of the structure, likely linked to a poor concrete mix and possible foundation issues.
Meju added that agencies such as the Ministry of Housing and the Awka Capital Territory Development Agency (ACTDA) had been notified and were on-site to supervise rescue efforts and conduct further inspections.
