The collapse of a section of the New Gombe State House of Assembly Complex under construction has left one worker dead and seven others dead.

The Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation, Danladi Adamu, confirmed the incident to newsmen in a press statement issued in Gombe on Friday.

MrAdamu, who described the incident as unfortunate said that it occurred earlier on Friday and affected a section of the cantilevered entrance canopy under construction.

He stated, “The incident involved eight workers where seven sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated for medical attention at the hospital. Five are receiving treatment at the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, while two others are being treated at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. Regrettably, one life was lost.”

Mr Danladi further stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State had been briefed on the incident and he expressed heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.

He said that the governor directed that injured workers should receive comprehensive medical care at government’s expense.

The permanent secretary said that the governor also directed his ministry alongside other relevant emergency, regulatory and technical agencies, to immediately commence safety and accountability procedures.

He said Mr Yahaya further directed that the contractor and the project consultant should submit a Formal Incident Report (FIR) within 24 hours.

He also said that the FIR should  be followed by a preliminary investigation report and, subsequently, a comprehensive technical report with findings and recommendations.

Mr Danladi quoted Mr Yahaya as saying appropriate measures would be taken in line with the outcome of the investigation and applicable standards.

He reiterated the state government’s  commitment to ensuring strict compliance with safety, quality and engineering standards in the execution of all public infrastructure projects.

(NAN)