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By Madu Obi
The centenary celebration committee of Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS, Onitsha, has said that the cause of the collapse of its five storey centenary building is yet to be ascertained. The school is owned by the Anglican Church.
The structure, which is being built for the celebration of the 100 years of the establishment of the school, collapsed last week. Three persons were rescued from the rubble, although one later died.
The director of operations of the centenary celebration of the school, Dr Chijioke Ojji, in a statement, said the committee will liaise with the family of the deceased worker for his burial.
Ojji's statement read: "The DMGS centenary building collapsed on June 12, 2024, at about 1:00 am. Unfortunately, three people were trapped, and despite rescue efforts, the third individual, Gideon Ezeigwe, was found deceased.
We extend our condolences to his
family and they have our support in dealing with this tragic loss.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown and is under investigation by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Anambra State Physical Planning Board (ASPPB), and the Nigerian Police.
We are cooperating fully with these bodies to ensure transparency and accountability. We commend the bravery of volunteers and the support of the Anambra State government, the fire service, and other responders.
Our priority remains the safety of
everyone involved and securing the site.
We urge the public to rely on official updates and avoid speculation on social media. We will continue to share factual information as the investigation unfolds".
According to an eye witness on the day of the incident, there was a loud noise from the building and suddenly it started going down.
“We were standing opposite the building before we heard the noise, but we could not run to the building because it was collapsing at that moment.
But three persons who would have been trapped in the building were rescued with injuries,” the eye witness said.
Former chairman of Onitsha South local government area, Chief Emeka Orji later brought an escalator that assisted in the rescue operations.
Orji had said: “This is the problem that we have been talking about, both in Onitsha South and Onitsha North local government areas.
If you look at the building, you will discover that it was bound to collapse.
This building is sitting on less than half plot of land and the soil is too weak, yet they built a five storey building on it.
I had to rush here to assist and I have got a call from the governor to see to it that there is no loss of lives".
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