“This is a particularly difficult time for South Africa. Not in the recent history of our country have we had this large number of our people die in one incident outside the country.”
The South African President, Jacob Zuma made these statements today as reacted to the collapse of Synagogue Church of Nations in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday last week.
President Zuma put the number of his country men and women that died in the collapse building at 67, even as Nigerian authorities put the number at 63.
The fallen multistory building served as a shopping mall and guesthouse at the sprawling campus of televangelist T.B. Joshua’s Synagogue, Church of All Nations, on the outskirts of Lagos..
South Africa’s government said its diplomats were at the scene since at least five South African church tour groups were there at the time.
In Johannesburg, a man called into Talk Radio 702 to complain that a family member who had gone to the church was missing and that they were unable to get any information from the church or Nigerian government officials. South Africa has set up a hotline for concerned family members.
A staff of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye said that members of the agency have rescued a woman, alive, at about 2 a.m. this morning, adding: “We found her under the rubble. She walked away with only a little dislocation on her hand. She is very, very lucky.”
Farinloye said that the building collapsed, contrary to TB Joshua’s claim that the collapse was caused by Boko Haram, because of poor construction work. He said workers were trying to build two additional floors onto an existing four-story structure without reinforcing the foundations. [myad]
