northern province

Gicumbi — One person died on the spot, while 11 others sustained severe injuries when a Church building collapsed on them on Tuesday.

The incident happened at Gihembe Refugee Camp, Gicumbi District in the Northern Province.

The worshipers, all members of ADPR faith are currently admitted at Byumba Hospital.

The accident happened while the victims were trying to renovate their old Church structure they normally use during their Sunday service, eye witnesses say.

"They were trying to remove the old iron sheets so that they could fix new ones. After they had successfully finished removing the iron sheets, the whole building collapsed on one side," the source said, adding that immediately they heard people screaming calling for help.

By the time police arrived at the scene, one person whose names were not easily established was already dead.

Emmanuel Hakizimana, one of the victims narrated his ordeal, saying he had climbed on top of the church but did not know how he ended up in hospital.

Clarisse Nyiransekanabo, a nurse who attended to the victims at the hospital said all the cases involved simple fractures that could be handled.

"Of course they experience severe pain but we are doing all we can," she told The New Times.

Innocent Muhire Rwasamanzi, the president of the Refugee Camp, told our reporter that it was the first time such an accident had happened in the area.

He blamed it on old pillars. The Gihembe Refugee camp was built in late 1997 and is home to Congolese-Kinyarwanda speaking refugees who fled their country due to insecurity.

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