Tragedy struck in the Idumoza community of Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, as a hotel under construction collapsed, killing its owner, Andrew Isesere.
The incident occurred last Friday while Isesere was reportedly inside the building. Over 20 workers who were also on-site narrowly escaped the collapse, according to eyewitness accounts. The body of the deceased was recovered from the rubble on Sunday morning.
Residents expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the building before the collapse, alleging that substandard materials were used during construction.
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Andrew Inegbebor, a local resident, told reporters that the late owner had been warned about the poor quality of materials used on the site.
“The owner was told he was using low-quality materials. He used 12mm rods instead of the standard 16mm for the pillars, and there was no base basket at the foundation,” Inegbebor stated.
“There was no qualified engineer supervising the project. He was handling everything himself. Unfortunately, the building gave way and killed him, though some workers managed to escape.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said he had yet to receive an official brief on the incident.
