Collapsed Building Buries Pregnant Woman, Injures Others In Enugu

The occupants had gone to bed after their evening meal.

At about 10.20 p.m, the unexpected happened.
The walls of the building, which they had occupied in the last four years, came crumbling.

Fortunately, while walls were coming down, some of the occupants escaped with severe injuries. However, the only pregnant woman in the building was unlucky as she had herself and her unborn baby buried in the rubble.

The bungalow, located at Ologo, New Site in Enugu North Local Council of the state, collapsed on Sunday evening when parts of a hill surrounding the area fell on top of it and other buildings in the compound.

A neigbour who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that the pregnant woman whose name was given as Chinasa Chukwuka was buried under parts of the hill that fell on her house.

She said the pregnant woman was almost due for delivery, adding that all efforts to unearth the woman alive proved abortive.

"Her husband, Emeka Chukwuka, became unconscious after sympathizers managed to pull him out of the debris," she said.

The owner of the collapsed building, Mr. Joseph Nwoye from Ebonyi State, said he discussed with Mr. Chukwuka before the incident occurred.

He claimed he also told other tenants to find another accommodation last week, when he noticed that some stones that fell from the hill had destroyed parts of the house after a heavy rain.

"I had only gone to bed after discussing with her husband last night. Shortly after, I heard a loud noise and we came out to discover that the house had collapsed. The pregnant woman died on the spot. My son fainted after the incident. It was raining heavily when it happened. When we ran out, we managed to pull Mr. Emeka Chukwuka out alive. But we could not save his wife because she was heavy with a baby. We were able to clear the rubble to recover her remains," Nwoye sobbed.