According to a statement by the Anambra State Police Command, the building, which was under construction and located at No 9 Ezenwa Street, Onitsha, collapsed at about 3 pm.

"Police patrol teams and other sister agencies rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area to checkmate miscreants and criminal elements from taking advantage of the situation to loot," the command's spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said.

Three other people were rescued alive from the collapsed building and rushed to the General Hospital Onitsha for medical attention.

The deceased victims of the collapse were deposited at the mortuary for autopsy after they were certified dead by the hospital.

Mohammed confirmed that the incident is already under investigation to ascertain what happened. The collapsed building belonged to a Barrister Ikebu Aso