A pregnant woman and four others lost their lives when the building a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ija-Ugbo, Arogbo Ijaw town in the Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State collapsed on Tuesday.
The building was said to be undergoing renovation when it collapsed.
Four other women were reported to have been injured.
The names of those who died have been given by the police as Morenike Bubuma, Margret Goloba, Mayama Goloba, Kowei Aboa and Dali Gunuboh, who was pregnant.
They were said to have gone to the church premises to collect woods that were no longer in use.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident.
Joseph, who described the incident as sad and unfortunate, said: “A renovation was going on in one of the churches in the area.
“The owners were trying to build a bigger church.
“While trying to demolish the old one, the building collapsed just as people were struggling for disused wood.
“Five people were killed on the spot, while four others were seriously injured and rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.”
The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Ese Odo Local Government Area, Bekewe Olowu, also confirmed the incident.
Olowu described it as “shocking and devastating”.
