The Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Anambra chapter, says a structural defect caused the collapse of an uncomplicated two-storey building at Odu-Igbo Market, Ochanja, Onitsha.

The collapse claimed five lives.

The NIOB chairman, Kingsley Nweke, identified the structural defect when he led other members of the Institute on a feasibility study of the collapsed building on Thursday in Onitsha.

Mr Nweke said the building lacked a lot of professional touch with the wrong placement of materials.

Also, an NIOB member, Ifeanyi Anyanechi, said that the major cause of the collapse was the hurry to finish the construction and bad workmanship.

Mr Anyanechi noted that the contractor did not allow the concrete to mature before imposing another material on top of it.

He said the building lacked the correct links at the appropriate centres.

He said there was a lack of professionalism in the construction, adding that no engineers and builders were supervising the job.

“If professionals were involved, a lot of the wrong work at the building site could have been corrected and the building would not have collapsed,” he said.

Earlier, the secretary of the Transition Committee of Onitsha South council area, Paul Onuachala, said they were still in mourning, although rescue operations started as soon as the incident occurred.

(NAN)