Birmingham wall collapse: Victims' links to Smethwick mosque
Community leaders in Smethwick today told of their shock after it emerged some of the men killed following a huge wall collapse at a Birmingham recycling plant worshipped regularly in the town.
The bodies of the five men who died in Nechells, have now been recovered as more details about the victims, who were of Gambian origin, became known.
The men were killed as a 15ft wall made up of 1.5 ton concrete blocks came down on them at Hawkeswood Metal Recycling.
They were named locally as Saibo Saillah, aged 42, Ousman Jabbie and Mohammed Jangana, as well as Alimamo Jammeh and Bangaly Dukureh, who were both from Aston, in Birmingham.
All were married with young families. There is a large Gambian community in the Smethwick and Handsworth areas and more than one of the men was known to have been a regular visitor to a mosque in Cape Hill.
Yaqoob Bhat, a member of the Masjid Usman Mosque, in Shireland Road, said: "It is shocking, especially for those who know them that a person who was living yesterday is not today. We have a few Gambian people who come to the mosque so it has had an impact here." Mazhar Mohammed, chairman of the Jamia Mosque, in Corbett Street, said: "It's tragic and a sad situation. My thoughts are with the family at this terrible time."
Manka Sawo, a friend of Saibo Saillah, worships at the Gambian Islamic Centre where Saibo also visited. He said: "Saibo is a friend of mine. He's been in the community for a few years. He's very polite and hardworking and respects everybody. Saibo was trying to get his family over to the UK but the visas were turned down some time ago so he tried to reapply.
"He left behind four younger children and two older ones who live in Spain."
John Spellar, MP for Warley, said: "There is a huge community there and clearly their loss will be felt deeply in the community." Amjid Raza, from Dudley Central Mosque, said: "I heard they worshipped at a mosque in Smethwick. It is an unfortunate tragedy, especially as it is at a time when everybody has been celebrating the festivals and Eid." Lamin Yaffa leads the Gambian Islamic Centre on Raglan Road in Cape Hill. He said the local Gambian community had been deeply affected by the deaths.
