Falling church kills 2
Apr 11, 2003
TWO born again Christians died and six others were seriously injured when a church collapsed on them in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, on Thursday.
By Herbert Ssempogo,
Steven Candia and Geoffrey Kamali
TWO born again Christians died and six others were seriously injured when a church collapsed on them in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Daudi, and Rehema Nakiguli.
Nakiguli was pulled out of the rubble unconscious. She died moments later aboard a police patrol pick-up truck enroute to Mulago Hospital.
By press time the Police could not readily establish the identity of the victims who had been admitted at Mulago Hospital in critical condition.
The walls and concrete slab on the two storey Divine Harvesters Church under construction in Kifampa Zone, near Salaama Road came down on the faithfuls at about 8:00pm as the choir was rehearsing.
A visibly shaken Ivan Matovu, 16, one of the survivors, said there were about 20 people in the church when the walls and concrete slab caved in, moments after Pastor Kayizzi had left.
“When we realised that the building was coming down on us, many of us made a dash for the exits. Some of us made it through while those who could not, were trapped,†Matovu who was mobbed by sympathisers recounted his miraculous escape.
“I was seated watching then all of a sudden some particles of sand started coming down. The whole thing was threatening to come down,†Matovu said.
“This is when we started rushing out. Some people stayed inside. We urged them to run out but they delayed and the debris buried them,†he said.
But fears that up to 20 people could have been buried beneath the rubble were dismissed by the chief, fire officer Joseph Mugisa.
A resident said the incident occurred during the 8:00pm news when the area experienced a sudden power surge that was immediately accompanied a by loud bang.
Moments later news filtered in about the tragedy at the church.
Steven Candia and Geoffrey Kamali
TWO born again Christians died and six others were seriously injured when a church collapsed on them in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Daudi, and Rehema Nakiguli.
Nakiguli was pulled out of the rubble unconscious. She died moments later aboard a police patrol pick-up truck enroute to Mulago Hospital.
By press time the Police could not readily establish the identity of the victims who had been admitted at Mulago Hospital in critical condition.
The walls and concrete slab on the two storey Divine Harvesters Church under construction in Kifampa Zone, near Salaama Road came down on the faithfuls at about 8:00pm as the choir was rehearsing.
A visibly shaken Ivan Matovu, 16, one of the survivors, said there were about 20 people in the church when the walls and concrete slab caved in, moments after Pastor Kayizzi had left.
“When we realised that the building was coming down on us, many of us made a dash for the exits. Some of us made it through while those who could not, were trapped,†Matovu who was mobbed by sympathisers recounted his miraculous escape.
“I was seated watching then all of a sudden some particles of sand started coming down. The whole thing was threatening to come down,†Matovu said.
“This is when we started rushing out. Some people stayed inside. We urged them to run out but they delayed and the debris buried them,†he said.
But fears that up to 20 people could have been buried beneath the rubble were dismissed by the chief, fire officer Joseph Mugisa.
A resident said the incident occurred during the 8:00pm news when the area experienced a sudden power surge that was immediately accompanied a by loud bang.
Moments later news filtered in about the tragedy at the church.