By Moh Bello Habib
A section of the Zaria Central Mosque in Kaduna state, northwest Nigeria collapsed Friday, killing four worshipers and injuring seven.
A survivor of the incident, Mallam Shehu Nagari, said it occurred when they were in the second Sujud of Asr Prayer. Suddenly the affected portion of the mosque collapsed on those sitting directly at the section.
He said in the twinkling of an eye, the people were covered in the debris of mud bricks used in building the over 150-year-old mosque.
Mallam Nagari could not ascertain the exact number of the casualty.
Confirming the incident, the Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, said the victims were observing the Asr prayer around 4 pm when the incident occurred.
“We had earlier observed a crack on the wall of the mosque yesterday and we’re planning to deploy a team of civil engineers to effect repairs,” he said.
