One body was recovered from a collapsed two-storey building in the Ochanja market area of Onitsha South Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra state.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred around 6 pm on Monday as traders were preparing to leave the market, with an unspecified number of people believed to be trapped.
Mr. Paul Onuachalla, the Secretary of Onitsha South LGA, confirmed the incident and mentioned that many individuals were still trapped beneath the rubble.
According to Onuachalla, witnesses heard noises coming from the building in the evening before it suddenly collapsed.
The LGA has formed a seven-member Committee of Enquiry, which includes representatives from the police and engineers, to investigate the causes of the building collapse at the market.
“This incident is simply an act of sabotage on the part of some traders who instead of following the due process and Building Code they chose to compromise the law and undertake the project themselves. We have made spirited efforts to ensure that the rules of Building Codes are respected but some sections of the public see it as witch hunting or targeting them, this time no defaulter would be speared,” he stated.