Encomium
NUMBER OF CASUALTIES
NEMA officials disclosed to ENCOMIUM Weekly that 131 survived miraculously while 86 people died. “Those we rescued alive are responding well to treatment at various general hospitals in Isolo and Igando, and those without injury have been given first aid and back to church.”
We gathered the dead ones were deposited at the morgue at the general hospital at Isolo in Lagos.
WHY IT CRASHED
Lagos State officials, through NEMA boss on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 said, “Various agencies responsible for the investigation have commenced investigation and it will be unprofessional to say at this stage reasons for the collapse because investigation is still ongoing. When we have the causes we will declare it.
THE COLLAPSED BUILDING
ENCOMIUM Weekly’s checks revealed that structure was a six storey building used as accommodation for spill over guests from African countries who sought spiritual assistance. The ground floor was the general restaurants for worshippers where most of the food vendors sell their wares. We reliably gathered that another saving grace was that most of them were dining before the collapse of the structure. However, those mostly affected were artisans working on the last floor.
THE NUMBER OF SOUTH AFRICANS DEAD
Although it was alleged that the number of South Africans in the tragic incident was about 70, NEMA insisted that’s not official until forensic experts from South Africa and their Nigerian counterparts from the Ministry of Health conclude their findings.
The South African Government sent a team of search and rescue and body identification experts to Nigeria on Friday, September 19, 2014, to assist in the search for South African victims of the church building collapse in Lagos.
The South African Government said on Tuesday (September 16) that five South African church tour groups, comprising about 300 people, were staying in the guest house when it collapsed.
The South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, said it was difficult to identify the remains of South African victims.
Mnguni said the embassy had deployed some of its officials to the scene of the six- storey building that collapsed.
Mnguni said, “I have dispatched some officials to the scene to monitor and identify some of our citizens that were involved and I am waiting for their report. But you know that rescue efforts are ongoing, so we don’t know when the report would come in. We can’t give a final figure on casualty for now.”
He stated that 20 South Africans, who were treated for varying degrees of injuries, had been discharged, while some of them had gone back to South Africa.
He explained that the families of those that are yet to be accounted for are preparing to visit Nigeria where they would be taken to the morgue to identify their relations.
The families of those that were affected in the collapse are also making arrangements to come to Nigeria and they would be taken to the morgue to identify their relations.
