Tragedy was averted on Tuesday morning in Aba, Abia State, as a four-storey building under construction collapsed, leaving ten occupants miraculously unhurt.
The incident occurred around 5 a.m. at No. 7 Nwaso Street, off Port Harcourt Road, in the Aba South Local Government Area.
According to eyewitnesses, the occupants, the owner of the building, his family, and relatives were asleep on the ground floor when the upper floors caved in. Fortunately, the ground floor remained intact, sparing all ten residents.
One of the neighbours, who pleaded anonymity, said the collapse happened just as they were about to begin morning prayers.
“My wife said she was hearing strange sounds around 5 a.m. We looked around but saw nothing. Moments later, there was a loud crash, and everywhere was covered in dust,” the source recounted.
Investigations revealed that construction workers had been working on the fourth floor the previous day and had left their tools behind, intending to continue work on Tuesday.
The building, said to have been under construction for over 15 years, has now been sealed off by officials of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA). Samples of blocks and iron rods were reportedly taken for testing, while the site has been cordoned off to prevent unauthorized access.
Some residents attributed the collapse to possible structural weakness arising from prolonged construction, aging materials, or poor concrete mixtures, though no official cause has yet been determined.
No casualties were recorded, though a few vehicles parked nearby were damaged.
Authorities are yet to comment officially on the incident as investigations continue.
