AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE DEAD AS CHURCH STRUCTURE COLLAPSES IN UYO, NIGERIA- GOVERNOR, OTHERS NARROWLY ESCAPES. (WARNING: GORY PICtURES)

It was a black Saturday in Uyo, Southern Nigeria when a church structure collapsed during a service killing at least 50 worshipers.

The Reigners Bible Church, located along Uyo Village Road, was filled to capacity as its Pastor Akan Weeks was being consecrated as a Bishop, when the tragedy occurred.

Governor Emmanuel Udom

Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State who was the special guest of honour at the event, escaped unhurt according to witnesses who said the governor was seated in the front row, while the building, which had been under construction, collapsed from the middle. But some others said the Governor sustained some minor injuries

Pastor Akan Weeks

It was garthered that the sad incident occurred about 11,:00am, just few minutes after governor Udom Emmanuel and his entourage entered inside the church.

A reliable police source said. “As we speak now all the patrol teams within Uyo are there trying to rescue as many as they can. But they said they needed a crane “You know a big function is supposed to hold there today. But I heard that they had to hire Julius Berger cranes because that is the kind of machine can that can be used under such situation’ However emergency ambulances were spotted along barracks Road about 12:30pm carrying some of the wounded victims and heading towards the Ibom specialist hospital at Itam.

The News Agency of Nigeria quoted rescuers as saying that over 60 victims had been removed from the debris.


Otobong Asukwo, a worshipper in the church, told newsmen that he had stepped out to urinate shortly before the building collapsed.
“The collapse happened from the middle of the Church roof. I noticed that the support for the pillars in the middle were removed, perhaps to allow for more space for people to sit,” he said.
“The governor and his people were inside the church. But they escaped because they were sitting in the front and the roof collapsed in the middle on top of many people.
“I saw one of the aides of the governor badly injured and was rushed to the Hospital. The governor however, appear unhurt.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the building’s iron rafters caved in 30 minutes after the governor arrived.
It quoted a witness, Uduak Effiong, as saying that a female victim’s bowel was ripped open by the impact.
Effiong, a communication arts student in the University of Uyo, said she lost three friends in the incident.

 Joseph James, who also witnessed the building collapse, told NAN that the Founder of the church, Mr. Weeks, was also unhurt.

More pictures after the cut. (WARNING: GORY PICTURES. VIEWER DISCRETION)