Church International
is seen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom,
Nigeria on December 11,
2016.
The Reigners Bible
Church International was still
under construction and
workers had been trying to
finish the construction for
Saturday's ceremony to ordain
founder Akan Weeks as a
bishop. Collapse kills 'at least
160' worshippers in Nigeria.
( Stringer - Anadolu Agency )
By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS, Nigeria
At least 200 people have
been confirmed dead and
hundreds others injured in
Saturday afternoon's collapse
of a church in Nigeria's
southern Akwa Ibom state,
according to a top medical
official.
"Many victims are in private
hospitals and mortuaries
scattered all over Uyo; we
can't really tell how many
people have died so far. We
have over 200 people in the
mortuaries here," Etete
Peters, chief medical director
at the government hospital in
Uyo, said late Saturday.
Peters said at least 50
wounded were brought to the
hospital.
Police has yet to disclose
casualty figures.
A service to ordain as bishop
the church's founder, Pastor
Akan Week, was in progress at
the time of the collapse. It
was attended by the state's
top government officials and
thousands of worshippers
from across the region.
Building collapses are
common in Nigeria, often with
deadly consequences. A total
of 115 worshippers were
killed, including 85 South
Africans, when a guesthouse
collapsed at a megachurch in
2014 in southwestern Lagos.
.
