JOHANNESBURG: The death toll from the collapse of a church guesthouse in Lagos has risen to 115, South African government minister Jeff Radebe said yesterday, urging the heavily criticised Nigerian government to investigate the “tragedy”.
The September 12 disaster in the church compound of popular preacher T B Joshua, which Radebe says killed 84 South Africans from visiting church groups, has opened up a diplomatic rift between the two African economic heavyweights.
South Africans are angry at what they see as the Nigerian government dragging its feet on launching an investigation into the collapse, which occurred when three storeys were being added to the two-storey building, and for not reacting more quickly to help those trapped under the rubble.
Nigerian emergency services said the total death toll was 86 and have refused to comment on nationalities of those who died.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan visited the site on Saturday, offering his condolences to Joshua, who has been the focus of South Africans anger after he described the victims as “martyrs of faith” on his Facebook page.
Joshua and his supporters say the collapse was an “attack” somehow linked to a mysterious aircraft they say flew over the building before it fell down.
Analysts say Nigeria’s megachurch leaders are so influential that few politicians dare upset them, especially just before a national election, which Nigeria is due to hold in five months.
REUTERS
