A tragic incident occurred in Zaria, Kaduna State, where a section of the Central Mosque building adjacent to the Emir’s Palace crumbled, resulting in the loss of four worshippers during the Friday afternoon Asr prayers.
Reports indicate that the Emir of Zazzau, Amb Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, issued a directive to halt activities within the Mosque and conveyed his profound shock and sorrow concerning the unfortunate occurrence.
In an audio interview conducted in Hausa language, the Emir mentioned that they had previously noticed a crack in the mosque’s wall on Thursday. He explained that preparations were underway for repairs before the incident occurred on Friday. As a precautionary measure, he instructed all worshippers to conduct their prayers outside the mosque until the necessary repairs have been completed.
Seven additional individuals who reportedly suffered injuries in the building collapse are currently under medical care and receiving treatment at hospitals.
According to an eyewitness ”Four worshippers have died after the Zaria central mosque collapsed on Friday. Seven other people sustained injuries in the accident that occurred when the worshippers were observing prayers around 4 pm.”
On another account, eyewitnesses said during the second Sujud Prayer, the section of the mosque suddenly collapsed onto those seated directly beneath it.
They described how the victims were engulfed by debris, including portions of the mud wall that had stood for over 150 years.
Responding to the situation, Mohammed Shehu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kaduna State, expressed that Governor Ubah Sani was deeply taken aback by the turn of events. He also extended the governor’s sympathies to the victims and their families, mentioning that a delegation had been dispatched to offer assistance to those affected.
Subsequently, the victims were laid to rest following Islamic customs.
This occurrence adds to a series of building collapses across the nation. Despite frequent attributions of such incidents to factors like substandard building materials and lack of professionalism, among others, the specific cause of this recent incident remains unidentified.
No official statement has been released by the authorities regarding the incident of the building collapse at this time.
