11-year-old dies, 15 injured as 100-year-old Catholic church collapses in Delta
By An eleven-year-old boy, Jeffery Enukanerhirhe, was Sunday confirmed dead and at least 15 others injured as the St Paul’s Catholic Church building collapsed on worshippers at Adagbrassa-Ugolo community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the church building is a 100 years old and was preparing for its centenary when a building being erected around the old church building collapsed.
The incident at about 7:00 a.m after the morning prayers ended and the parish priest was about to commence the Sunday mass.
As of the time journalists arrived the scene of the incident, Master Enukanerhirhethe was said to have been buried within the church premises.
Father of the deceased, Hon. Jackson Enukanerhire, former Minority leader of Okpe Local Government Council confirmed the incident.
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The bereaved father said, “I was inside the church when it happened. I was at the back and my son was playing the guitar when it happened. It happened at about 7a.m.
“When it happened, I joined other members of the church to rescue people who were trapped unknown to me that my son was also trapped. It is a sad thing.”
Vice Chairman of the community, Daniel Egiwie, who survived the incident, said, “I didn’t know Jackson’s son was inside the church trapped when I was helping people out.”
He noted that they didn’t notice the one hundred years old church was about to collapse.
Another survivor, Daniel Oghenekevwe Charles, told journalists that, “We went to the house of God. We cannot question God. I thank God I survived it.”
The 15 injured persons have been rushed to hospitals for medical attention.
The State Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, who visited the scene of the incident and the hospitals where the injured are receiving treatment, said the state government would foot their bills.
Meanwhile the Delta State Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa has condoled with the family of the deceased with a promise to offset the medical bills of the injured victims.
Governor Okowa spoke through the Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Ernest Ogwezzy who visited the father of the deceased as well as the scene of the incident.
Governor Okowa described the incident as “sad” just as he sympathized with the Church, the immediate family of the deceased as well as the people of Adagbrassa-Ugolo Community.
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