A number of people are feared trapped as a five-storey building under construction collapsed at Basden Street, Fegge, in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State.

According to reports, the building meant to serve commercial purposes on completion, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, March 10, while some of the construction workers were on the last floor.

An excavator was said to have been quickly moved to the site to begin the evacuation of rubbles and possible rescue operations of any trapped victims.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Mmaduekwe, disclosed that the approval given was for the construction of a three-storey building but the developer went contrary to plan and started erecting a five-storey building.

This comes less than two weeks after a building collapsed at the Oduigbo section of the Ochanja market, Onitsha.