Enugu government seals off sinking 3-story building

Enugu State Government officials have sealed off the collapsing 3-storey building with eight flats located at Number 9A Egwuekwu Street in Maryland, Enugu North Local Government Area in preparation for its total demolition.

It was gathered that both the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Federal Fire Service officials arrived the location on Saturday to ensure residents were evacuated without harm.

The sinking 3-storey building with eight flats was reportedly built in 2008.

SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Nkechi Eneh, said her agency had been on the case since Friday, adding that SEMA mobilized first responders and supervised evacuation of tenants in the building up until 2.00 a.m. on Friday, July 31st.

She said: “We have to save lives first because right now no one knows whether the building will crash by the right or left side.

“So, it’s important that every living person close by leaves the location.”

According to her, Friday night’s operation was hitch-free, but for a male resident that injured his ankle while jumping from the building.

Occupants of the near-by buildings had appealed to newsmen to highlight their predicament to the attention of the state government.

One of the residents of the near-by buildings said: “Many of us have been sleeping outside our homes for the past two days, hoping that the landlord will find a way to pull down the building without causing collateral damage.”

Officials said they were aware of the danger the sinking house posed to other buildings close to it and have warned the public to keep away from the collapsing property.

They said that the warning was in form of public service announcement.