No more bodies found in rubble of UAE mosque collapse

Authorities confirm that no more bodies have been discovered under the wreckage of the mosque despite earlier fears the death toll may rise.

MADINAT ZAYED // No more bodies have been found in the rubble of the collapsed mosque in the Western Region where one labourer died and 17 were injured on Saturday night.

The team clearing up the site with diggers were advised by police to do so carefully as they feared more bodies would be found, but authorities confirmed yesterday that no other workers have been discovered.

Seven of the injured workers have so far been released from Madinat Zayed Hospital and the other 10 will shortly be discharged, hospital sources said.

Hamad Salem Ali Al Hameli, the communications manager at the Western Region Municipality, said the investigation into why the roof of the under-construction mosque collapsed as it was being put in place is ongoing.

However, municipality officials believe that the collapse may have happened because of the use of old jacks that failed to bear the heavy weight of the concrete roof.

The mosque is to be the largest in the New Shabia area of Madinat Zayed, with a capacity of 40,000 worshippers when completed and will replace the smaller mosques that are insufficient for the more than 100 homes in the area.