No fewer than seven persons, including a female police officer and ADC to the First Lady of a northern state (names withheld), were injured in the wee hours of Wednesday, when the popular Mekaval Hotel located in Effurun-Warri, Delta State collapsed.

It was gathered that the collapse hotel was similar to the collapse of the Synagogue of All Nation Church in Lagos, as the victims were mostly indigenes of neighboring state who besieged the city seeking salvation at the Christ Mercy Land Church, headed by Pastor Jeremiah Fufeyin, popularly called ‘Ijaw TB Joshua’ by followers.

Although the cause of the collapse was yet unknown at the time of this report Wednesday, the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, a lawyer and deacon, hinted of possible structural defect.

Otuaro, who raced to the scene of the incident at about 10:45am, immediately ordered the closure of the hotel buildings, as well as the standing two-storey main wing of the hotel, as a precautionary measure to avert further loss of lives.

He said, “The state government has ordered that the hotel be closed immediately to avert further loss of lives. We are going to send engineers straight away.

“It is very possible that there have been some structural defect ab initio during construction works because that place seems to be a waterlogged area and maybe the proper engineering works were not done.”

Otuaro spoke with newsmen at the Divine Grace Clinic, where five of the victims, including a pair of brothers and three females were being treated, decried the incident and described it as devastating.

He laments the devastation and trauma suffered by some of the lodgers at the hotel, including a lady from Bayelsa simply identified as Evangelist Florence, who spent over seven hours under rubles of the collapsed hotel.

While stressing that it wasn’t time for bulk-passing, the Deputy Governor assured that competent engineers were on their way to the site to assess the immediate and remote causes of the building collapse.

He commended public-spirited individuals and organizations like the Red Cross which promptly responded to distress call and assured that the state government would pick up the medical bills of the victims some of whom were being treated at the nearby Divine Grace Clinic.

Otuaro, who also visited five of the victims, thanked God for their safe evacuation from the scene and assured them of the support of the state government.

He advised inhabitants of buildings close to the scene to evacuate them pending examination by professional to ascertain the state of the structures.

Nevertheless, The Nation independent check revealed that the victims of Wednesday disaster were mainly religious pilgrim from outside the state, who were in Effurun for a church programme organized by Pastor Fufeyin

The ADC to the northern state First Lady, who was simply identified as Adeza, told Otuaro that she hit the city from Abuja on Tuesday afternoon in search of solution to some family problem.

The lady, who hails from Agbede, Edo state said, “I am a Muslim, but I came here to see the man of God. Only recently I lost my elder brother who was in the Army and so many things had been happening in my family. So I came here for prayers.”

The lady, who occupied Room 206 before the unfortunate incident, said at the time of her rescue she was still hearing voices from under the rubles from the collapsed hotel building, hinting that more people could still be trapped underground.

Her view with contrary to those expressed that by the hotel management that the seven recorded lodgers had all been rescued alive at about 11am on Wednesday.

Speaking in the same vein, another victim, who simply identified herself as Evangelist Florence, told our reporter that she came from Yenagoa, Bayelsa state for the church’s programme.

“Immediately I got into town I went to the mountain for prayers. It was after the prayer that I came to Mekaval.

“As I was sleeping, at about 2am I heard a sound creaking sound and everything came down, I tried to unlock my door but I couldn’t; it seemed like the door was locked outside. I was under the ground till about 7am when I was rescue,” she added.

http://thenationonlineng.net/scores-wounded-as-hotel-collapses-in-delta/

cc: lalasticlala, dominique, Sissy3

My house shall never be part of untimely death this ember month in Jesus Name.

RIP

God please protect and save me and my loved ones during this EMBER months !!?

. That's bad

RIP

Bad news too much today oh

RIP to the dead.


Edited: NL is in CNN mode today.

Rip













i dey come

Oh my....

It's [size=20pt]LadyF[/size] again

too bad RIP

Why won't there be collapse? We now have fake rods.

PMB needs blood. Quote me anywhere.

definitely poor design and its susceptibility to vibration and periodic loading...Our government needs to act fast to ensure buildings are constructed to standard...

sacrifice

Hian!!!
Ijaw. Gini?

Eyiaaaaa, may God heal those dat sustain injuries........., & R.I .P 2 d dead............!

too much sub-standard building materials are used for construction in this country
i wish the injured ones speedy recovery..may God keep them...imagine trying to solve one problem and getting involved in another one in the process.

Okk

Asari Dokubo go blame APC

Ogheneeeeee........ may their soul rest in perfect peace.

OZAOEKPE:
PMB needs blood. Quote me anywhere.

You need help...which hospital they release you from?

the lady, who occupied Room 206 before the unfortunate incident, said at the time of her rescue she was still hearing voices from under the rubles from the collapsed hotel building, hinting that more people could still be trapped underground.

Rescue workers should be quickly and adequately mobilized to the crash scene.

OZAOEKPE:
PMB needs blood. Quote me anywhere.

Bros, this occurrence in not a joking matter.

I see this pastor on TV performing unbelievable miracles, he has accquired more than half of warri for the building of his massive church.

If they believ him as always instead of rushing to the clinic why didn't they call the pastor to do what he knows best.

Show me one person whose life these miracle workers have turned around, I will further prove why I would never believe them.

I once broke up with a gf cus she believed too much in churches and miracle... She believed this man also...


May the good lord take control

Too bad

Before you go thru 5 - 10 front page titles on Nairaland disasters must have happened somewhere. I pray that I and my entire household and together with all eyes reading this, we will not be victims of evils remaining in 2015 in Jesus name ( Amen ).

Quick recovery to the wounded.

Oboi

oluwaSmith1:

You need help...which hospital they release you from?

"I don't do ladies, I'm into men #no homo", Quote me anywhere.

Aah!!!

OZAOEKPE:
PMB needs blood. Quote me anywhere.

. U're a big fool honestly speaking........!!!