Remains of 74 Lagos church collapse victims returned to South Africa

World Today

There was a moving ceremony at the Waterkloof Airforce Base in Pretoria on Sunday, as the remains of 74 South Africans killed when the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed in Lagos two months ago were returned to South Africa.

Many of the victims had gone to the church in Lagos in search of hope and religious healing by internationally known prophet T.B. Joshua. On Sept. 12, the church collapsed, killing 116 worshipers.

The South African government said the tragic accident in Lagos had been a sobering moment for the entire nation and had united the country.

After the ceremony, the mortuary trucks departed to provinces across South Africa, where families would collect their deceased.

The remains of 11 more victims are yet to be returned.

Sunday’s event was attended by numerous government ministers and other dignitaries, as well as a small delegation from the Nigerian Synagogue Church of All Nations.

However, there was no sign of Nigerian Televangelist and self-styled prophet T.B. Joshua, whom CCTV America had been told was due to arrive in South Africa weeks ago to offer his personal condolences to the bereaved families.

CCTV America’s correspondent Rene del Carme reports.