The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said ongoing rescue efforts at the site of the five-storey building under construction which collapsed on Wednesday along Odili Road in Port Harcourt will continue until all persons trapped beneath the rubbles are recovered dead or alive.
The Head, NEMA, Port Harcourt Operations Office, Dr Chidi Ogundu, stated this during an exclusive interview at the site of the rubbles on Wednesday night.
Ogundu confirmed that so far, only one casualty was recorded while three persons were rescued alive beneath the rubbles and were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.
He described the incident as unfortunate.
He expressed the hope that with the pace of the rescue operation which he described as a coordinated team of agencies with the Rivers State government, anyone still trapped would be brought out.
“Four people were brought out from the collapsed building. One dead, three alive. And the operation, this rescue operation as you can see, will continue until all the bodies, whether dead or alive, are recovered from these rubbles.
“We are continuing to work till the end of today, Thursday and beyond until everyone trapped there is all out, whether dead or alive like I said,” he stated.
Ogundu advised developers to always stick to the approval given by the authorised government agency when building in order to avoid such ugly incidents which have claimed lives and even the property which will now provoke government action.
“My advice to residents is that whenever they see structures like this going beyond a level they should raise the alarm. So builders must stick to the approval given to them when they are building houses.
“One of the major causes of all this problem is when somebody is giving approval to build a one-story you now go and build three or four, you will be causing more problems.
“Most times it goes back to zero or minus zero because when the building later collapses, the government takes over, you will lose everything. And where lives are lost, it goes back to minus zero. So it is better for people to adhere strictly to the instructions and also use real quality materials and not subs-standard standards.
“That the economy is very bad and that is why sometimes you see some people use more sand than cement, and it’s wrong and there is no excuse. When it collapses, you lose everything. So it’s better you follow and use the standard measurement mixtures and all the, uh, original materials to build your house, then live comfortably and feel safe,” he emphasised.
The state NEMA boss explained that sometimes the terrain the building will be resting on is also a factor which explains why building approval plans are given for specific purposes to avoid incidents of buildings caving in.
“Most times what causes this is, if you don’t know the terrain of the place you are building. It might be a swampy area filled with sand. So you need to find out how the soil texture of that area is. Is it meeting the standard requirement before you start putting foundation because there might be a refuse dump before.
“And if it’s a refuse dump and people fill it and start building houses, it is bound to collapse. So a lot of factors are contributing to all this misfortune we are suffering. And now, as you see, it is taking lives. Money can be recovered probably with time, but life cannot be recovered. So the message is clear, get approval before building and stick to it,” he stated.
Rescue efforts by the Rivers State Emergency Medical Service, NEMA, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps were still on late into the night on Wednesday as flood lights were brought in for proper illumination of the site
At 10pm on Wednesday an additional excavator was brought into the site to support the swambugy, caterpillars and other earth-moving equipment as clearing of the area to create more space while rescue efforts continue.
The PUNCH