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Not fewer than seven people were injured on Wednesday, September 9, when a popular hotel, Mekaval Hotel located in Effurun-Warri, Delta state, collapsed.
The Nation reports that the collapse of the hotel was similar to the collapse of the Synagogue of All Nation Church in Lagos as the victims were mostly indigenes of neighboring state who besieged the city seeking salvation at the Christ Mercy Land Church, headed by Pastor Jeremiah Fufeyin.
Although the cause of the collapse is unknown, Kingsley Otuaro, the deputy governor of the state, hinted of possible structural defect.
After visiting the scene of the incident, Otuaro ordered the closure of the hotel buildings, as well as the standing two-storied main wing of the hotel, as a precautionary measure to avert further loss of lives.
“The state government has ordered that the hotel be closed immediately to avert further loss of lives. We are going to send engineers straight away.
“It is very possible that there have been some structural defect as initio during construction works because that place seems to be a waterlogged area and maybe the proper engineering works were not done,” he said.
Speaking with journalists at the Divine Grace Clinic, where five of the victims were being treated, the deputy governor described the incident as devastating. He revealed that competent engineers were on their way to the site to assess the immediate and remote causes of the building collapse.