RismadarVoice Reporters
October 9, 2026
A mother and her children have reportedly died following the collapse of a three-storey building under construction at Anata Anaba in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday when the building collapsed onto a neighbouring bungalow occupied by the victims.
Residents said the structure developed cracks shortly before it came down, trapping occupants of the adjoining residential building beneath the debris.
Emergency responders and residents reportedly rescued some people from the rubble and transported them to hospital for medical attention.
Among those confirmed dead in local accounts were a woman and her 14-year-old daughter. Other reports also indicated that the woman’s youngest child died in the incident, although the total number of fatalities has not been independently established.
The woman’s son, identified as Chimobi, reportedly escaped because he was outside the building when the collapse occurred.
He said his mother and sister were inside their bedroom and had no opportunity to escape before the structure fell onto their home.
Residents alleged that concerns had previously been raised about the safety of the construction project because the land was waterlogged.
According to community accounts, an engineer initially advised that the building should not exceed two floors, but the developer allegedly engaged another engineer to proceed with a three-storey structure.
These allegations have not been independently verified.
Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Chijioke Ojukwu, who visited the scene, attributed the collapse to suspected construction defects, including the alleged use of substandard building materials.
Ojukwu disclosed that the state government had previously issued a stop-work order on the project and marked the structure for demolition over alleged violations of building regulations.
He also announced that the government would take possession of the affected land.
The commissioner said authorities would intensify inspections of unauthorised construction projects in the area to identify structures that could pose similar risks to residents.
The tragedy has renewed concerns among residents about compliance with building regulations, construction standards and the enforcement of development-control directives in Anambra State.
Further investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine responsibility for any regulatory or construction failures.
