Two market women have died and 17 injured in a collapsed wall of Urua (market) Ederebo in Ikot Akpatek in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, hometown of the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

An eyewitness, Mr. Edet Jack, said on Monday that the injured victims of the collapsed market wall were moved to Immanuel General Hospital, Eket for medical attention, while the two women that died had been removed from the area.

He added that some victims who were thought to have also died in the incident, were revived on arrival at the hospital.

Our correspondent learnt that some sections of the 60 years old market was renovated three years ago by government.

The Commsissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyangeyen, who led an emergency rescue team to the scene of the incident denied that no life was lost during the incident, he therefore charged people to stop spreading sensational news reports that are not verifiable.

Although the casualties and injured were immediately removed by Inyangeyen, an eyewitness strongly opposed denial by the commissioner that no life was lost in the incident.

“I do not understand what government hopes to gain by playing down or denying figures of victims of disaster in the state. Last week, the government was busy lying to defend a church whose building collapsed and killed over 100 people due to very glaring technical error.

“Today again, the government team arrived as soon as the incident occured, and instead of going to Immanuel General Hospital to ascertain if the weak facility can handle the situation, the commissioner turned himself into a journalist to throw intimidating questions at the timid villagers to cover up the situation,” the eyewitness said.

Reacting to the incident, the Police Public Relations in the state, Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed that only two women died following an old market wall that fell directly on them.

“Only two women died, there is an an old wall that fell directly on them so they died, normal market business is ongoing,” she said.

Meanwhile, worried by the alarming rate of collapsed structures in the country, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, has called on the state government to ensure the domestication of the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law.

Acting Chairman, Dr. Beulah Ofem, in a press conference in Uyo on Monday, stated that such law, when domesticated would go a long way to aid effective management of physical development of the state.