The death toll in the building collapse along Yar’Adua Drive in Owerri, the Imo State capital, has risen to 15, an official of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.

NEMA’s Head of Imo/Abia State Operations Office, Evans Ugoh, gave the update on Friday in Owerri as rescue efforts continued at the site of the building collapse.

Recalled that an eight-storey building under construction in the state had collapsed on 30 April 2020, killing two people instantly. Eight others were rescued and rushed to the Federal Medical Centre [FMC], Owerri.

On Friday, rescuers pulled five dead bodies from the debris of the building while the eight people taken to the hospital were later confirmed dead, bringing the total casualty figure to 15.

“As you can see, we are still working, disaster managers are on ground conducting search and rescue. We have exhumed five dead bodies today. I believe that more people are still trapped but we will not give up,” Mr Ugoh said.

The Chairman of Owerri Capital Development Authority, Innocent Ikpamezie, has blamed the collapse on poor engineering work.

Mr Ikpamezie made the disclosure in a radio programme on Friday, where he analysed the cause of the collapse.

He said many contractors were in the habit of violating building guidelines, which according to him, often results in building collapses.

Meanwhile, Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma has vowed to bring the developer of the collapsed eight-storey hotel building to book in which some people died while others were injured, some seriously.

He promised that his government would do everything humanly possible to ensure that all those who are still trapped in the rubbles are brought out alive.