The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the death of three persons at the collapsed two-story building in Aluu community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Friday night.
The NEMA South-south Zonal Coordinator, Godwin Tepikor, who spoke at the incident scene Sunday, said the disaster agency has concluded the evacuation, adding that the three dead bodies recovered from the rubble have been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary.
Tepikor, who blamed the incident on sharp practices by the engineer constructing the building, claimed that the engineer may have compromised on the project as the incident could have been averted.
He commended agencies and other stakeholders for their full participation to ensure the management of the disaster.
Reacting on the incident, the Rivers State Commandant of the NSCDC, Michael Ogar, said that the sad occurrence would have been avoided if the contractor had not used substandard building materials.
