Five worshippers died following the collapse of Seventh Day Adventist -SDA- Church Bethsaida Congregation in Luyeye village of Kasama, Zambia.
It was gathered that the church building they were in collapsed during a Bible study session following heavy rainfall.Â
The incident, which happened on Saturday afternoon, January 8, 2022, also left four church members injured and are admitted in the Kasama General Hospital.
The victims were laid to rest at Chiba Cemetery on Tuesday, January 11.
Kasama District Commissioner, Elizabeth Goma, said three people including an infant died on the spot, while two adults died at the hospital last night.
Meanwhile, the District Commissioner has also disclosed that 47 houses in the same area have been destroyed by the rains.
And, Northern Province Minister, Leonard Mbao, who visited the scene said it is disheartening to lose lives in such a manner especially that its only a week when rains started in the area.
He challenged relevant authorities to ensure that they inspect and certify all buildings so that they are fit for habitation and to avoid further loss of lives.
Mr. Mbao said his office will soon engage churches and other stakeholders for a meeting to discuss the issues.
Leading Fire Fighter from the Kasama Fire BrigadeHosea Mbao, has attributed the collapse of the church building to the use of poor building materials.
He added that after assessment of the building, it was clear that the building material used was not effective.
A church steward, Francis Mfule, who survived the tragedy narrated from his hospital bed that they were in the middle of the Bible Study when the church collapsed as a result of strong winds and heavy rains.
He added that the church structure which was built in 2020 was in an incomplete state.
