Okpoko Building Collapse Claims Two Lives, Raises Questions Over Construction Approval

Two members of the same family lost their lives in Okpoko, Anambra State, when an unfinished multi-level structure came down and struck a neighbouring bungalow on Wednesday night.

The collapse occurred around 9:45 pm at Anata Anaba in Ogbaru Local Government Area. The failed structure was being developed as a three-storey building. People in the neighbourhood said cracking sounds were heard shortly before parts of the construction gave way, creating panic around the area.

Emergency responders searched the rubble and moved survivors to hospital. Among those who died were the owner of the affected bungalow and her youngest child, aged 14. The woman's son, Chimobi, said he had been outside when the incident happened, while his mother and sister were in a bedroom that was hit by the falling structure.

Residents also raised concerns about how the collapsed project had been developed. According to their account, the land was waterlogged and an engineer previously connected to the work had advised that construction should not go beyond two floors. They alleged that another engineer was later engaged and work continued towards a third level. These were residents' claims and were not independently established in the source report.

Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Chijioke Ojukwu inspected the scene on Thursday with Noble Igwe, the lawmaker representing Ogbaru One Constituency in the state House of Assembly. Ojukwu said a stop-work instruction had already been issued before the incident.

The commissioner blamed the structural failure on substandard materials and negligence. He described the development as unauthorised and said officials had previously ordered its demolition. According to Ojukwu, the land would be taken over by the state, while other construction projects in the vicinity were being examined for possible approval violations.

The incident has consequently drawn attention to both the warnings residents said preceded the collapse and the government's assertion that regulatory action had already been taken against the project. The source did not provide the names of the two deceased family members or updated medical information about other people taken for treatment.