World News | A Mosque in Northwestern Nigeria Collapses During Prayers, Killing 7 Worshippers
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A part of a mosque collapsed while hundreds of people were inside for prayers Friday, and seven worshippers were killed, authorities said in northwestern Nigeria's Kaduna state.
Abuja (Nigeria), Aug 12 (AP) A part of a mosque collapsed while hundreds of people were inside for prayers Friday, and seven worshippers were killed, authorities said in northwestern Nigeria's Kaduna state.
The Zaria Central Mosque is in Zaria, which is one of northern Nigeria's largest cities.
“Twenty-three persons were affected and evacuated to the hospital by our fire servicemen,” the state Emergency Management Agency said. State officials said the mosque was constructed in the 1830s.
Videos apparently recorded at the scene showed a wide opening where a part of the roof fell in.
The victims were buried while prayers were held for them at the mosque.
Kaduna Gov Uba Sani ordered an immediate investigation into the disaster and promised to assist those affected by the “heartbreaking incident.” His office said an advance team was already in Zaria.
The mosque's collapse comes after more than a dozen building failures in the West African nation in the last year. Authorities often blame such disasters on a failure by officials to enforce building safety regulations and on poor maintenance. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)