Rivers State government seals off collapsed three‑storey building site

The Rivers State Government has sealed the site of a three‑storey building under construction that collapsed on Monday night in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Amairigha Edward‑Hart sealed the site after leading ministry officials to inspect the damage and evaluate the possible cause of the collapse.

After the inspection, Edward‑Hart said the incident may have been caused by the engagement of incompetent structural engineers, the use of substandard building materials, or violations of approved building plans.

He stressed that, following the incident, the ministry will “intensify monitoring of approved building projects across the state to ensure developers strictly comply with approved building specifications.”

The commissioner added that the ministry will keep the site under close watch to prevent the developer from returning to continue construction.

He further noted that it is yet to be confirmed whether the building had official approval, as the property owner has not been identified.

Edward‑Hart also warned that “anyone found erecting buildings without proper approval will face sanctions in line with the law.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers Belema Ekine said that despite government efforts to enforce building regulations, cases of building collapse still occur.

He described the incident as unfortunate.

He added that “the association will carry out a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the collapse,” noting that anyone found culpable will be sanctioned accordingly.

No casualties were recorded, and no worker was on site when the state government visited.