A building under construction at Congo Town collapsed on Monday, 12th August 2024, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The collapse occurred between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, according to the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning (MLHCP).

Ing. Musa L. Koroma, Assistant Director of Country Planning at MLHCP, reported that Ministry officials had previously inspected the structure and issued a summons to the building’s owner after concerns were raised regarding its safety. The summons was reportedly ignored by the owner.

On 8th August 2024, a building engineer alerted the Assistant Director to the deteriorating condition of the structure. Ing. Koroma then visited the site and immediately halted all construction activities. The owner failed to comply despite this directive, leading to the fatal incident.

Melvin Coker, a Technical Officer at MLHCP, stated that during an inspection of the site, he identified significant technical flaws, including improper beam and column elevation and substandard
materials.

A local resident and worker at the site, Alfred Korie, recounted the moment of the collapse, stating that four workers were inside the building when it gave way. Korie, who survived, confirmed that two workers were killed. One was recovered from the rubble on the morning of 13th August, while the other died en route to the hospital.

Efforts to contact the owner of the collapsed building have so far yet to be successful.

Source : Sierra Leone News Agency