Ariaria Market Project: Abia Govt Warns Scavengers, As Many Sustain Injury, Trapped Under Collapse Structure

By Tochukwu Eluwa-Abia

Some scavengers and pickers of scraps are feared to be trapped and others sustained injuries as building collapsed on them in Ariaria International Market. Information available to ALL FACT NEWSPAPER reveals that a section of the Ariaria International market which is under reconstruction collapsed on the scavengers as they were trying to illegally demolish a section of the structure undergoing reconstruction in order to pick scraps.

It was also gathered that the scavengers gained entrance to the site at a time when the developers who were not on duty and had cordoned off the project site, but the scavengers defied the cordon, gained access to the site and started demolishing what was left of the buildings while searching for disused steel, wire and other materials to cart away.

As of the time of filling this report, some of the scavengers trapped under the collapsed structure have been removed, while others sustained various degree of injuries.

In a swift response to this ugly incident ,the Abia state government through Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee on the Rebuilding of Ariaria International Market in a press release signed by Ugochukwu Alaribe Chairman, Media Sub-Committee has fired a note of warning to scavengers to stay off government project sites to avoid a repeat of incident such as this .

According to him, Scavengers and other youths have been obstructing excavating machines at the site while searching for disused iron and other materials. He said others have at different times broken into shops and looted goods stored in them by traders.

Just last week, the rubble also fell on some scavengers who sustained severe injuries as they went in search of disused materials in the active site, he added.

The Abia state government through the committee has strongly advised parents to warn their children to keep off the project site as law enforcement agencies have been charged to arrest and prosecute defaulters.