A section of the historic Zaria Central Mosque, which is over 150 years old, collapsed during a prayer session, leading to the death of at least eight worshippers. The incident occurred at around 4 pm during the Asr prayer session. The affected portion of the mosque suddenly collapsed on worshippers who were sitting underneath it. The mosque had shown signs of structural issues as a crack was noticed on its wall the day before.
Survivors recounted that the section that collapsed was built with mud over a century ago. The Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He advised Muslim faithful to pray outside the mosque temporarily while repairs are carried out.
The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed that eight people lost their lives in the incident, and 25 others were rescued. The police have initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse, while noting that the ancient building had not been demolished despite the mosque’s renovation.