New Gombe House of Assembly complex site under construction
A tragic accident has occurred at the construction site of the new Gombe State House of Assembly Complex, where one worker lost his life and seven others sustained varying degrees of injuries following the collapse of a section of the building under construction.
The incident happened on Friday when a cantilevered entrance canopy being erected at the project site suddenly gave way, trapping several workers beneath the rubble.
The Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Danladi Adamu, saying emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the scene to rescue those trapped.
According to the ministry, all seven injured workers were pulled from the debris and rushed to hospital for treatment. Five of the victims are receiving medical attention at the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, while two others were taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe. Authorities have yet to disclose the identities of the deceased worker and the injured victims.
Reacting to the tragedy, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya expressed deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and directed the state government to take full responsibility for the medical expenses of all injured workers receiving treatment.
The governor also ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, directing the Ministry of Works to work with emergency response agencies and engineering regulatory bodies to determine the cause of the structural failure.
As part of the government’s response, officials have issued a strict ultimatum to those handling the construction project to cooperate fully with investigators.
Authorities said the investigation will begin with a preliminary report before a comprehensive technical assessment is carried out to establish the exact circumstances that led to the collapse.
The failed structure was identified as a cantilevered entrance canopy, a design that is supported from only one end and requires careful engineering calculations and strict adherence to construction specifications.
Although the exact cause of the collapse has not been established, the state government warned that anyone found culpable—whether through negligence or the use of substandard construction materials—would be held accountable.
> “The Gombe State Government remains firmly committed to ensuring strict compliance with safety, quality, and engineering standards in the execution of all public infrastructure projects,” Adamu stated, adding that appropriate punitive or corrective measures will be enforced strictly in line with the final investigative findings.
Meanwhile, construction activities have been suspended in the affected section of the multi-million naira House of Assembly complex to allow engineers and investigators carry out a detailed examination of the collapsed structure.
