The floor of a Mississippi church collapsed during a youth prayer service this week, leaving about 35 people gathered inside injured.
Members of the Myrick, Miss. Freedom Baptist Church were stunned on Wednesday night, after the second floor of the church caved in, taking about 70 worshippers along with it.
One church official told the Los Angeles Times that he was glad none of the injuries were dire, and that the extent of the wounds didn't surpass "cuts and bruises."
"It was a miracle," Pastor Tommy Davis told the Times during a phone interview this week. "If you have an event that scary, so many things could have gone wrong. Electricity flowing through the wires and gas flowing through the pipes. It was a miracle there was no fire... But this was the best it could have been."
It's unclear at this point what caused the floor of the church to collapse, but Davis told the Los Angeles Times that local law enforcement would be investigating the construction of the building for answers.
Davis said the church, which stands around 35 to 40 feet tall, is constructed entirely out of steel. He described the design as "more of a high school gymnasium-type of structure than a traditional church building with a steepe."
The Pastor recalled the harrowing incident in detail, saying that the people in the church at the time were mostly between the ages of 11 and 18.
"In the middle of the student service, the floor gave way, causing about 70 students to fall," Davis told the Times. "It's got to be said that no one was seriously injured, no one was trapped. God's hand was certainly taking care of the kids who were in that building."
None of the injured people inside the church were admitted to any medical centers. Those who sustained wounds received treatment on-site.
18-year-old Tori Hodge told the Chronicle that the floor crumpled right after a strange noise coursed through the building.
"We heard a huge rumble and the floor collapsed and people collapsed with it," she stated. "Everybody heard it. The floor started crumbling and waving. People started falling through the ceiling, just like you'd see in a movie."
