Probe ordered after Zaria mosque collapse kills at least seven

The Kaduna government says it launched an investigation after at least seven people were killed when a mosque filled with hundreds of worshippers collapsed in Zaria, the state’s second biggest city, on Friday.

Zaria Emirate Council spokesman Abdullahi Kwarbai said a part of the mosque collapsed as worshippers observed afternoon prayers at the city’s central mosque.

Channels TV reported Saturday that the death toll from a mosque collapse had risen to 10, with seven injured.

Gov. Uba Sani expressed “sadness” at the tragedy and ordered an immediate investigation, a spokesperson said.

Officials said the Zaria Central Mosque was constructed in the 1830s, had for decades opened its doors to Muslim faithful from all parts of the world.

Twenty-three people were sent to hospital, the state Emergency Management Agency said.

Videos shared on social media showed a wide opening where a part of the roof fell in.

The incident followed multiple cases of building collapse in Nigeria within the past year.

Authorities frequently attribute these tragedies to a lack of proper implementation of building safety regulations by officials, as well as inadequate maintenance and the use of substandard construction materials.