Three people have been critically injured after a four-storey building under construction collapsed at Hai Thoura in the capital Juba, a local official said.
Speaking to reporters at the scene of the incident on Thursday morning, the Caretaker Mayor of Juba City Council, Emmanuel Khamis Richard, said rescue operations are still ongoing.
“As we are speaking, at least three people are terribly injured and have been taken to hospital. It is believed that there are still more people who are trapped inside after the collapse of this building,” he said.
The caretaker mayor said he will hold a meeting with the South Sudan Engineering Council and the Ministry of Housing to task them to ensure that all the buildings in Juba are checked to see if they meet the necessary quality standards.
Santo Makuoh, an eyewitness, said they managed to rescue seven people after the building under construction collapsed. “The injured have been rushed to the hospital, and one of our relatives is among those critically injured. The building belongs to a South Sudanese citizen,” he explained.
Poor workmanship and ignorance of the laws are among the leading causes of such incidences.