By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
Providence has smiles on a middle-aged woman at Uruagu village in Nnewi Ananbra state as she escaped death by whiskers when a two-storey building under construction collapsed in the area.

The incident occurred on Tuesday near an adjoining compound next to woman’s house in Uruagu Nnewi.

During the ugly incident, a substantial part of the building said to be subject of legal fireworks crumbled.

Residents of the area were said to be preparing to go out for their businesses when the unfortunate incident took place.

Narrating the incident, the husband of the victim, Mr. Clement Ojukwu, told newsmen that the collapsed structure destroyed a wing of his house, causing extensive damages to three of his big generating sets.

He also said that about three motorcycles, two gas cookers with oven, kitchen unit, deep freezers, refrigerators assorted choice China plates and others were also affected.

According to Mr. Ojukwu, “I left home at about 07.15 am, but about 40 minutes later I got an urgent call from one of my neighbors to rush back home immediately.”

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He explained that the man had told him that the “multi-storey building beside my house under construction had collapsed. He said no one knows whether my wife who was cooking in the family kitchen when I left was trapped under the debris.

“I pleaded with him to mobilize people to assist in searching and ascertain that my wife was safe before I rushed back.”

Ojukwu who could not hide his joy stated that when his wife called him a few minutes later informing him of how she narrowly escaped death as the building collapsed, added that: “sadly, the owner of the building is a brother and friend. I had in the progress of the construction called and intimated him that it was not only close to my house but that it was dangerously transversing into my compound/building.”

“His response was that his father told him that one talks about boundary on the ground, not up or in the air. So as he continued with the project, finished the first decking, and started the second, I was forced to go to court to stop him, ” he added.

Attempts to speak with the owner of the collapsed building yesterday were unsuccessful as he was not at home.

A relation who pleaded not to be mentioned said, “No one has seen him since the unfortunate incident occurred earlier in the morning.”