In its bid to protect lives and property of its citizenry, the Delta State Government today shut down the Merkaval Hotels in Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State following a collapse of a section of Merkaval Hotel Building.
The Deputy Governor, Barr. Burutu Kingsley Otuaro gave the directive when he who spoke to Vanguard shortly after visiting the collapse of the building which occurred in the wee hours of today.
Otuaro said the hotel remains shut until an integrity test is conducted by certified engineers to ascertain the cause of the collapse of the twin storey building, that the hotel remains uninhabitable to prospective customers. “Until an integrity test is carried out the hotel remains shut to uninhabitable on the two building.”
While noting that Officials of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and the Red Cross were on ground to rescue trapped victims in the collapsed hotel building,
Otuaro promised that the Delta State Government will take responsibility of the hospital bills of the injured victims. “I told the hospital management to give the victims the best of medical care. We will foot the bills.”
Otuaro noted that of the seven injured victims who have been rushed to Divine Clinic, a private hospital in Effurun are indigens of Rivers, Kogi and Bayelsa States respectively who have come to lodge in the hotel.
Otuaro attributed the cause of the collapse of the hotel building to structural defects noting that there were big cracks from the top of the hotel building to the down of it while the hotel premises is swampy. even though I am not an Engineer, I see structural defects. The area is swamp. I found out that there is a big crack from the top to the down.”
As at press time, the owner of the hotel was said to have collapsed as his blood pressure shot up and was rushed to hospital for immediate medical care
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