Tony Okafor
Father, four children injured as thunderstorm falls two-storey building in Anambra

A man and his four children have escaped death by the whisker as a two storey building collapsed in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The building located along Amawbia bypass was said to be serving as both residential and business facility.

The incident occurred in the wee hours on Thursday.

A victim, Mr Augustine Ikeji said the building collapsed following a (thunder) lightning.

"The debris fell on me and four of my children while we were sleeping in our room close to the collapsed portion of the building.

"Some of my property were destroyed while my kids sustained varying degrees of injury and were later rushed to the hospital."

Another resident who preferred anonimity blamed the collapse on use of inferior building materials by the developer.

The Managing Director, Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, ACTDA, Amaechi Okwuosa had sealed up the facility, stating that the structure did not meet building standards.

He said, "Though the owner may have gotten approval more than fifteen years ago, the structure was substandard and did not meet the building standards.

"Despite efforts by the agency to make the owner stop work, he went ahead to build at night with substandard materials which led to the total collapse."

Okwuosa said the owner would forfeit the land in line with the existing law in Anambra state which provided that any owner of collapsed building would forfeit the property.

So Thunder is this active, but have refused to bring down Aso rock.

Weak house.U packed roadside/gutter sand,rust iron,managed 3 bags of cement to build house and expect it to stand .

Where is Urban development control when you need them the most Old structures like these needs to be checked and brought down if necessary to avoid stories that touches