Church Building Collapse On Okpanam Road: Police Confirm Only Three Dead

By Frank Oshanugor

Contrary to stories trending in some sections of the media that over ten people died in the Salvation Ministry Church building collapse on Okpanam Road, Asaba on Tuesday, Delta Police Command said only three persons have been confirmed dead.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, the Command’s spokesman DSP Bright Edafe said the recorded death so far included two female children and one woman whose names have not been ascertained.

According to the police, rescue operation was still going on, as at the time of issuing the statement. Eighteen persons were initially rescued, four persons discharged from hospital while eleven were still receiving treatment.

The police said, this clarification has become necessary in other to debunk the rumours making rounds that ten people died. “That is not correct” the statement added.

Pastor David Ibiyeomie’s Salvation Ministry Church building said to be under renovation on Okpanam Road, Asaba the State capital had reportedIy collapsed on parishioners at about 5.30pm while service was on.

The children’s section was said to be badly affected as it caved in.

AtlanticNewsonline gathered that immediately the incident occurred, youths in the area and rescue workers including fire fighters and personnel of Delta State Health Ministry raced to the scene following which about 11 worshippers were initially rescued and rushed to the medical centres. Children were said to be more among the injured.

Incidents of collapse building have become a regular occurrence in Nigeria in the last 15 years, one of the worst being the November 1, 2021 incident in Ikoyi area of Lagos in which no fewer than forty persons died in the 21 storey building collapse