More than 50 feared dead after church collapses during service in Nigeria
More than 50 people died and hundreds others are believed to have been wounded when a church collapsed during a service in southern Nigeria on Saturday, a resident and police said.
State news agency NAN said on its website there had been 60 “victims” of the tragedy in the southern city of Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State, without clarifying whether they had been killed or wounded.
“I visited the scene of the incident today and saw people being taken out,” said Monday Akpan, a resident.
“More than ten people were killed from my calculation and what I heard others say there.”
Local media put the death toll even higher.
The Premium Times said on its website that at least 50 people had been killed or seriously injured.
Police and civil service officials said some worshippers had been killed but refused to give a figure as the rescue operation was still ongoing.
The church collapsed during a service when a pastor was to be consecrated as bishop and local officials in attendance escaped unhurt, police spokeswomen Cordelia Nwawe said.
