It was a black Tuesday for parents, guardians, teachers and  pupils of the College of Education Staff Primary School, Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta state when a water storage overhead tank project collapsed, killing six pupils instantly while others trapped in the building are under intensive care at both the Central Hospital, Agbor and the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba.

The project, according to a source was awarded by the state government and sited at the college premises.

The school which is run by the College of Education, for children of staff of the college was engulfed with wailing by parents and guardian, who came only to find their children either dead or in very critical condition.

One of the teachers, Mrs. Augustina Emegbule who witnessed the incident said: “I was in my classroom when I heard a loud noise only to find out that the huge water tank has crashed into the classroom of over 35 pupils killing six instantly. Other pupils were still trapped underneath the heavy tank. People were called in to rescue them as they were badly injured”.

At the Central Hospital , a parent in tears, Mrs. Pat Oboh could not contain her shock as she described the incident as unfortunate. “Oh! God, how could this happen to us. God save me”, she wailed.

“We have severally complained to some of the government officials who came here to approve the project that it was not befitting but they would not listen,” a source told our journalist.

An eye witness account said that the tragedy struck at about 11:30 am on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 while the pupils were all inside the classroom.

“It was the noise that attracted many of us. It was too sudden and nothing could be done to save those who died instantly. It crashed on them.”, the eyewitness disclosed.

The National President of Human Rights, Restoration Movement (HRRM), Barr. Ifeanyi Williams Agholor, who was at the scene of the ugly incident, decried the spate of substandard projects dotting the nooks and crannies of the state.

He lamented why the state governor would award contracts without proper verification and certification, saying that the innocent children that have died could have been saved if not for the shoddy job that had been executed at the premises of the College. He called for the setting up of a panel of inquiry by the state government to ascertain the standard, cause and effect of the incident.

Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner  for Education, Dr. Hope Eghagha, who rushed to the scene of the incident and the hospital commiserated with parents who had lost their children. He told them to be patient while medical attention is been given to the victims.