BREAKING: 10 worshippers dead, others trapped as newly completed church building collapses in Delta

No fewer than 10 worshippers have been confirmed dead as a church building, Housing Salvation Ministry, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, collapsed.

According to a report by Vanguard, the collapsed building also trapped an unspecified number of worshippers.

The building, which is being used for the first time, reportedly collapsed at about 5:55 pm during Tuesday evening’s service.

Meanwhile, eight persons have been rescued unhurt, while four persons have been rushed to the Asaba Specialist Hospital.

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At the time of filing this report, Secretary to the State Government, Patrick Ukah; the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Ononye Mordi, a team of Red Cross officers, and firefighters were on the ground on a rescue mission.

With rescue operations ongoing, worshippers, family members and sympathisers were seen crying.

The building, which is over 10 years was initially designed as a plaza before the church bought it at N300 million, adding that the one storey building was being reconstructed by the Church.

A church member, who simply identified herself as Grace, said the service was ongoing when the building collapsed with a thunderous noise, saying; “we were clapping and praying when suddenly we heard the cracking and the building swallowed the children section with the children.”

According to her, they were observing their new year 21, adding that they came for evening service to break the day fasting with a communion service when the building collapsed.

A woman who was wailing beyond control at the scene said her three children were among those trapped in the building.

This comes barely two months after a similar incident in Lagos where a 21-storey building located on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, collapsed with 44 confirmed dead and 15 rescued.

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