By Malek Arol
Four-storey building under construction in Juba’s Hai Thoura neighborhood collapsed Thursday; killing one person on spot while four other workers sustained injuries.
According to Stephen Taban, an eyewitness who was close to the site, the building collapsed at around 9:00 Am, while the engineers were at work inside.
Shortly after the building collapsed, Taban said they rushed to check on the workers and found the five injured.
“We brought them out and rushed them to Giada Military Hospital. But shortly after that, shocking news got to us that one of them had died”, Taban added.
Meanwhile, the remaining four survivors, South Sudanese nationals are receiving treatment in Giada Military Hospital as the search continues for other suspected missing persons.
Mr. Taban disclosed that the owner of the building is South Sudanese but is currently out of the country.
“I used to take tea with them (workers) here, and so they usually come when they are six in number; I don’t know whether or not all of them were present when the building collapsed”, Taban said.
Most of them worked as construction helpers, transporting blocks to the third floor where they were working when the building collapsed.
The cause of the collapse is not yet known, but the police and city authorities who rushed to the scene are yet investigating the accident.
Juba City acting mayor, Emmanuel Khemis Richard who rushed to the scene believed that there were still people trapped under the rubble.
“This is very unfortunate; we are going to ensure that the remaining structure is demolished and removed so that we can see if there are other people who are trapped down there,” he said.
The mayor urged security forces to be vigilant on tracking down and apprehend the owner of the building for investigation to establish whether certification and other necessary requirements met.
Khemis pledged to call an urgent meeting with Engineering Council of South Sudan to ensure all buildings in Juba are properly checked to ensure they met necessary conditions and requirements.
The acting mayor of Juba City further directed that building owners must submit their documents to the city council authority within 14 days for vetting.