By Bisola Adeyemo
Two people have been confirmed dead after a wall of a three-storey building under construction on Njemanze Street, Owerri, the Imo State capital, collapsed.
Another worker, who sustained severe injuries, is said to still being attended to by doctors at the intensive care unit of an undisclosed hospital.
The Nation gathered that the foundation work was ongoing at the site on Tuesday afternoon when the wall of the building caved in, trapping the workers, whose identities could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
It was gathered that the foundation for the three-storey building was being dug near the old fence, thereby exposing the foundation of the fence, which collapsed on the workers.
The deceased, according to eyewitnesses, were brought out of the debris dead while the other one was rescued with varying degrees of injuries.
Residents of the area were said to have thronged the scene to help in rescuing the injured victim under the debris.
One of the rescuers from Amawom village, Owerri, who gave his name as Chikodi said the structure was at the foundation stage.
He said: “You know this was an old building before it was demolished last week to give way for a more modern building. But the fence, which was equally old had to collapse as the foundation of the new house affected it.
“The victims have dug the foundation up to five feet very close to the fence. They were now mixing concrete when part of the fence caved in on them”.
Spokesman of Imo Police command, Orlando Ikeokwu, could respond to inquiries on the incident .