Another church building collapses in Edo...bus set ablaze

Barely one week after the collapse of a building in the premises of Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos in which more than 80 people died, another building belonging to church yesterday collapsed in Benin City, Edo State, killing three persons.

The building is a storey building belonging to Christ Chosen Church of God located at Usama street, Uzebu quarters in Benin City.

One dead body was recovered from the debris yesterday but two persons were still trapped inside the building which served as offices and residential building to officials of the church. Five residents were rescued alive.

Saturday Vanguard reports that nine workers hired at N3000 per day were working in the building but three went out to eat before the building collapsed.

Five persons were rescued alive although they were brought out with broken limbs.

Premium Times was told that the collapsed building was an old residential building within the church premises, quite different from the auditorium the church uses for worship and other activities.
The building, it was further gathered, was being demolished by youths hired by the church before it collapsed on the workmen.

Angry residents reportedly set a bus belonging to the church ablaze and destroyed the main church auditorium. They blamed the church for using manual labour to demolish the building when the church officials could have hired an excavator.