One worker has died and seven others were injured after part of the entrance canopy under construction at the new Gombe State House of Assembly complex collapsed.
The incident occurred when a section of the cantilevered entrance canopy suddenly gave way, trapping workers at the construction site.
Rescue teams were immediately deployed and successfully pulled the trapped workers from the rubble.
The Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Permanent Secretary, Danladi Adamu.
According to the ministry, emergency response measures were activated immediately after the collapse to assist the affected workers.
It said five of the injured workers are receiving treatment at the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, while two others are being treated at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
The identities of the deceased and the injured workers have not yet been made public.
Following the incident, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya expressed condolences to the family of the deceased worker.
The governor also directed the state government to pay the medical bills of all the injured workers.
He further ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the collapse and instructed the Ministry of Works to work with emergency response agencies and engineering regulatory bodies to determine what led to the structural failure.
The state government also directed the contractors handling the project to cooperate fully with investigators.
Officials said a preliminary report would be prepared before a detailed technical assessment is carried out to establish the exact cause of the incident.
Authorities explained that the collapsed structure was a cantilevered entrance canopy, a design supported at only one end that requires precise engineering calculations during construction.
Although the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, the government said anyone found responsible for negligence or the use of substandard materials would be held accountable after the investigation.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all public construction projects meet approved safety, engineering and quality standards.
Meanwhile, construction work has been suspended in the affected section of the assembly complex while engineers and technical experts continue examining the collapsed structure and gathering evidence for the investigation.
