South Africa is counting its loss in the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos building collapse.
High Commissioner Mr. Lulu Mnguni said yesterday that 265 South Africans survived last Friday’s tragedy in which a six-storey building collapsed.
“There are 265 South African survivors. Initially, there were 96 injured South Africans, but now there are only 29 still in hospital, including a three-year-old,” Mr. Mnguni said in a telephone interview.
The rest of the injured have been discharged. Most of them were women.
Seventeen South Africans were still unaccounted for, he said.
Mnguni confirmed President Jacob Zuma’s announcement that 67 South Africans died, but he said a process was still underway to identify the deceased.
He described a grim picture in Lagos where families were frantically scouring hospitals and mortuaries, searching for loved ones.
“The atmosphere is calm; there is no tension. But families don’t know where their loved ones are. They are visiting morgues and hospitals,” he said.
Mnguni and teams from South Africa and the media have visited mortuaries and hospitals.
NEMA has put the death toll at 80 with 131 survivors pulled from the rubble.
President Jacob Zuma has raised an Inter- Ministerial Task team to help manage the synagogue building collapse. Zuma spoke in Midrand, Johannesburg.
He said “the task team will support families and do whatever is necessary to manage the impact of this tragedy”.
The South African president said the minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe, would chair the task team which included the minister of cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
South Africa sent an advance team of emergency personnel to Lagos to help the rescue work.
“We urge all South Africans to provide all possible support to the affected families.
“Many municipalities will be affected in a way by this disaster.
“We urge Premiers and Mayors to also provide support to the families of the deceased who come from their areas,’’ Zuma appealed.
The Synagogue Church yesterday sent condolences to the families of those killed.
“To all those who lost family members and loved ones, please accept our heartfelt commiserations. No one knows by the present sign or situation what the future holds,” it said in an unsigned statement on its website.
“We must therefore live each day as if it were our last and leave tomorrow’s trouble for the one who bore our troubles on the cross. We thank God for the martyrs and we pray for the family members and loved ones left behind.”
In its statement, SCOAN said it was a sad time for all and quoted from the Bible: “Emmanuel – God is with us.”
Verse 1.23 in the chapter of Matthew reads: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means God is with us).”
SCOAN said it felt the pain of the affected families.
“The pain of one is the pain of all. It is indeed a sad and painful moment for the families and friends who have lost loved ones,” it said.
“It is equally so for us in SCOAN, under the leadership of Prophet TB Joshua.”
The televangelist claims to have predicted the Malaysian Airlines MH17 plane crash and the Boston marathon bombings. He apparently did not foresee the collapse of his own church building.
SCOAN said one of its buildings “unexpectedly” collapsed, resulting in death and injury. It implied that a “strange aircraft” had something to do with the disaster.
“This incident was preceded by the appearance of a strange aircraft which flew very low over the building, four times and then disappeared,” it said.
“The church views this tragedy as part of an attack on SCOAN and in particular Prophet TB Joshua. In due course God will reveal the perpetrators of this unfortunate tragedy.”
The church said it had co-operated with authorities from Nigeria, South Africa and other nations and was working “hand-in-hand” with them.
“SCOAN… have worked in collaboration with… authorities to ensure that survivors are rescued, attended to with the best medical treatment, cared for in the most humane and hospitable manner and reunited with their families, while those who passed on – martyrs of the Kingdom of God – are retrieved, identified and treated respectfully.”
SCOAN was saddened by “inaccurate reports” that it was not co-operating with rescue teams.
