Nigeria church collapse kills worshippers [Photos]

As many as 100 people were killed after a church in Uyo, Nigeria, collapsed on worshippers, officials said.

Akwa Ibom Gov. Udom Emmanuel was at Reigners Bible Church when it collapsed Friday and narrowly escaped injury, his press secretary, Ekerete Udoh, said in a statement.
Authorities did not provide any reasons for the church's collapse but said efforts were underway Saturday to rescue victims trapped beneath the rubble. According to Udoh's statement, the church "caved around them" at a ceremony to consecrate the church pastor's becoming a bishop.
Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom state, which is in Nigeria's coastal southern region.

At least 100 bodies have been recovered from a church that collapsed in the south-eastern Nigerian city of Uyo.

Some reports put the number even higher. The roof of the church caved in on worshippers who had gathered for the ordination of a bishop on Saturday.

Those inside the Reigners Bible Church included Akwa Ibom state governor Udom Emmanuel, who survived the disaster.

The church was still under construction and workers had rushed to complete it for the ordination, witnesses said.

Mr Emmanuel said there would be an investigation into whether safety standards had been compromised.

Eyewitnesses told Reuters news agency that they had seen more than 100 bodies at the local morgue.

Etete Peters of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital told the AP news agency that at least 160 people had been killed.

Many more victims may have been taken to private mortuaries across Uyo, AP adds.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed "deep sorrow" over the incident.

An unnamed survivor quoted by Nigeria's Channels TV said: "Suddenly, the roof fell on worshippers. The governor was quickly rescued. But others were not that lucky."

Building collapses are relatively common in Nigeria, mainly due to the use of sub-standard materials and the violation of building regulations.

In 2014, scores of people were killed when a church hostel belonging to a Nigerian TV evangelist collapsed in the city of Lagos.