The Rivers State government has sealed off the site of a collapsed building in Rumuodara, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, saying that the structure has no approval.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Isaac Umejuru, told journalists in Port Harcourt on Saturday that the state government would hold the engineer who handled the project responsible.

He said, “The building was constructed without approval from the state government; it collapsed because a new structure was placed on the old one. It’s an old building; the engineer placed a second structure on top of it, and that led to the collapse.’’

Mr Umejuru expressed thanks to God that the three people inside the structure during the collapse were safe.

“A two-year-old child was also there. We are happy that they did not die as a result of the incident. They are currently receiving medical attention. We are hopeful that they will be fine,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state government would thoroughly investigate the cause of the collapse with a view to prosecuting anyone found culpable.

He cautioned property developers against constructing buildings without approval from relevant authorities.

“We shall not hesitate to bring illegal property developers to book. It is only right to get approvals before construction begins,” he said.

(NAN)