Worshippers escape death as fire gults church

By Austin Ogwuda
ASABA—THERE was pandemonium at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Asaba, on Sunday as the church building caught fire midway into the mass.

The worshippers, who came for second mass, started running helter-skelter when the building suddenly caught fire at about 10.40am.

Vanguard gathered that the fire started when one of the church workers went to re-fuel the generator while the generating set was on resulting in an explosion, which caused confusion among worshippers.

The fire was, however, put out as most of the able-bodied men summoned courage and fought the fire with water.

Parish Priest of the church, Monsignor Christopher Chukwumah,  who later addressed the parishioners, told them to be grateful to God that no life was lost, pointing out that “we have to thank Him in every circumstance”.