By MUSTAPHA YAURI

No fewer than three persons sustained injuries on Wednesday when a section of the Zaria Central Mosque under reconstruction collapsed during casting work in Zaria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decking of the second floor beside the southern minaret caved in while workers were carrying out casting on the structure.

Eyewitnesses said the injured persons, believed to be construction workers, were immediately evacuated to a hospital in Zaria for treatment.

No life was lost in the incident.

NAN further reports that the construction site was subsequently cordoned off, while labourers were seen clearing debris from the collapsed section.

Efforts to obtain comments from the site engineer did not yield results as sources at the site said he had accompanied the injured persons to the hospital.

However, the spokesman of the Zazzau Emirate Council, Malam Abdullahi Kwarbai who did not deny the incident declined to comment.

Kwarbai simply said the reconstruction project had earlier been handed over to a technical committee, which subsequently transferred the site to the construction company handling the work.

He added that a formal groundbreaking ceremony was conducted before commencement of the reconstruction project.

“As such the emirate council will not comment on the matter at the moment,” kwarbai said. (NAN)