A woman and her 14-year-old daughter have died after a three-storey building under construction collapsed on their home at Anata Anaba, Okpoko, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 9:45 p.m. while the victims, identified as Happiness Ugoagu and her daughter, Chikaima, were asleep in their bedroom.

The woman's son, Chimobi Ugoagu, said he was outside the house while his siblings were in the sitting room when the building collapsed.

He alleged that residents had repeatedly warned the builder about the danger posed by the structure, but their concerns were ignored. According to him, an engineer had also advised that the building should not exceed two storeys because the land was waterlogged.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, visited the scene and described the incident as unfortunate.

Ojukwu alleged that substandard materials had been used in the construction, adding that a stop-work notice had previously been issued against the building, which he described as illegal.

He subsequently ordered the demolition of the collapsed structure and other unapproved buildings under construction in the area.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Nnamdi Ifejika, expressed sadness over the deaths and commiserated with the bereaved family.

“This is a very painful and heartbreaking moment for us as a people. We cannot begin to imagine the pain of losing a mother and her daughter in such a tragic circumstance,” he said.

Ifejika urged residents to report concerns about potentially unsafe buildings to the appropriate authorities before they result in tragedy, stressing the importance of prioritising public safety.

He also directed that the situation be closely monitored and called on relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse.

The council chairman assured the bereaved family and the Okpoko community of the local government's support, while urging residents to cooperate with emergency personnel and other authorities.