One dead as new House of Assembly collapses

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

Danladi Adamu, the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing, and Transportation, confirmed the incident.

In a statement he made available to newsmen in Gombe on Friday, Adamu described the incident as unfortunate.

He said it occurred earlier on Friday and affected a section of the cantilevered entrance canopy under construction.

He said: “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.”

Danladi further stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has been briefed on the incident.

He said the governor expressed heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, adding that he directed that all injured workers receive comprehensive medical care at the 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 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.

Danladi quoted Yahaya to have said that 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.