Uyo church collapse: Mourning across Akwa Ibom as casualties increase
- Akwa Ibom state is deep in mourning as more deaths are recorded from the church collapse
- The state governor has declared a two day mourning period
- NEMA maintains that only six persons have died in the incident so far
There is mourning across Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom state as casualties are still being recorded following the collapse of Reigners Bible Church building in the city on Saturday, December 10.
The Governor of the state, Emmanuel Udom, has declared a two day mourning for the dead. He was among those who narrowly escaped death by the whiskers.
According to reports, one of his protocol officers, pushed him out but could not escape before the building fell on them.
According to residents in Uyo, casualty figure is high as dead bodies are still being evacuated from the collapsed church on Sunday morning.
A resident of Uyo, who spoke with Legit.ng on phone said the figure of casualties given by the management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was wrong saying the figure was given was part official information management by the agency.
NEMA had said that only six persons died in the incident that threw the entire city into mourning.
Tony Udoh, who spoke to our reporter from Uyo, said that so many persons as at the time of filing this report were at the emergency units of most of the hospitals in the city, noting that some died in the hospital, some are still receiving treatment not knowing what their fate would be.
According to him, most of the government hospitals are filled and private hospitals are also filled, saying it is a very pitiable situation.
According to Udoh: “We that are on ground can tell you that what NEMA said was information management, the casualty figure is more than 80 but speculation has it that it is between 100 and 200 persons that died.
“The ambulance is still evacuating people. It is very serious. The governor, Emmanuel Udom was there. All the government officials in the state were there. The governor arrived about 30 minutes before the incident happened.
READ ALSO: Uyo church collapse: 8 photos of the church after the collapse
“When they noticed the cracks in the building, some decided to escape, one of the governor’s protocol pushed the governor out but the protocol officer could not make it, the building collapsed on him and he died. But it had little effects on the governor.
“The secretary to the state government, Etekanba Umoren, is currently hospitalized due to the impact of the collapsed on him. The deputy governor was also there but I can tell his state right now. Some people are still given up. As at this morning, they are still getting more people out of the place.
“The dead bodies are so many that to the extent that they loaded them like sardine to the hospitals. When they were removing some dead bodies this morning, one person was shouting, they took him to the emergency unit and he die there.”
Akwa Ibom police commissioner, Murtala Mani, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo that only 27 people died when the building collapsed on Saturday, December 10. He denied that the number of persons that died was more than a 100 persons.
He also said only 37 persons sustained injuries and they were receiving treatment in three hospitals.
The hospitals were treatment is been given are University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital, Ibom Specialist Hospital and lifecare Hospital.
But the state chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anieke Uwah, said that 22 bodies were deposited at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in Uyo.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Up to 200 reportedly die as Gov Udom escapes death as church building collapses
The incident happened when Governor Emmanuel Udom was invited as special guest of honour at the bishopric consecration service of the founder of the Reigners Bible church, Apostle Akan Weeks.
Here are some photos from the scene of the collapse.
Below is a video from the scene of the sad incident:
Source: Legit.ng
