Many Escape Death As 6-storey Building Collapses In Benin

Scores of persons taking refuge at an uncompleted six-storey building said to belong to the daughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Mrs Philomena Igbinedion, escaped death on Saturday evening when the building collapsed shortly after they left the location.


The building located at No 1, Boundary Road in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin City, was said to have been under construction for the past 10 years. It also shares the same premises with Dunamis Gospel Church International, one of the fast-growing Pentecostal churches.

The collapsed building attracted a large crowd around the neighbourhood who feared that some persons might have been trapped in the rubble.

It was, however, gathered that nobody was in the building when it came crashing down. The cause of the collapse could not be immediately ascertained.

Attempts to get workers at the premises to comment on the incident were unsuccessful as our correspondent was directed to speak to the owner of the collapsed property, who could not be reached at the time of filing this report.