Remi Ladigbolu|
Grieving members of the Reigners Bible Church Inc., in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, have turned to Facebook, a social media platform, to mourn some 79 worshippers who allegedly died when the church auditorium caved in during a service attended by the state governor yesterday.
Newsmakers found the mourners generating a thread of sympathetic comments on the pictures of six victims posted on the social media platform.
One Edidiong Ikpe Noah posted: “Queen? She can’t be dead please…”
Another mourner said: “Jesus Christ ooooh no this pretty girl what a life hmmmmm.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, who described the incident as a tragedy, prayed on his Twitter page for the souls of the deceased to rest in peace. And the state governor, Udom Emmanuel has declared a 2-day mourning period.
Emmanuel escaped unhurt as the church building caved in 30 minutes after his arrival.
He was the special guest of honour at the consecration service of the Founder of the church as a bishop.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the Presiding Bishop of the Church, Bishop-elect Akan Weeks, remained unknown hours after he was reportedly rescued from the ruins of the church auditorium.
Church members, who spoke exclusively with Newsmakers, said they could not ascertain the whereabouts of the bishop or his condition.
One of them, Crystal Abaegbu, however, insisted that the bishop was hale and hearty.
Crystal told Newsmakers: “The pastor is okay. I don’t know about his whereabouts for now, but I know he is okay.”
No fewer than 79 people were feared dead and over 100 injured in the incident.
My condolence goes to the family of the victims.
What a tragedy!!!