By Ephraim Emmanuel
Two persons have sustained varying degrees of injuries following the partial collapse of a section of a two-storey building along Club Road, near the Lagos Bus Stop in the Old Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State.
Contrary to initial reports circulating on social media and some media platforms claiming fatalities, authorities and eyewitnesses confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident.
According to an eyewitness and bar operator operating within the affected property, Ijeoma, the partial collapse occurred between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM while she and her staff were attending to customers. The injured victims were promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, even as she noted that the structural integrity of the aging building required urgent assessment.
In the wake of the incident, the Rivers State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the Rivers State Government to accelerate its urban renewal initiatives across older parts of Port Harcourt.
The State Chairman of the NITP, Dr. Tamunoikuronibo Dawaye Ikiriko, speaking in an interview with our correspondent Ephraim Emmanuel, clarified that while the incident was not a major structural collapse, it highlights the pressing dangers posed by deteriorating infrastructure in the historic township. He urged the state government to fast-track its planned urban renewal programs to forestall future occurrences.
As of the time of filing this report, a team from the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners had cordoned off the affected section of the building. Meanwhile, shop owners were seen salvaging and moving their belongings from the premises, while scavengers gathered around to pick through the debris indiscriminately.
