300 South Africans caught in Synagogue tragedy

Over 300 South Africans were visiting the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos when the guest house collapsed last Friday, the country’s government has said.

There are still conflicting figures on the dead, with Nigerian authorities announcing 62 deaths while South Africa is mourning 67 of its citizens said to have died in the tragedy.

South African President Jacob Zuma (pictured) described it as “one of the worst tragedies in South Africa’s recent history”, Reuters reports.

The collapse occurred when three extra floors were being added to the existing two of the guest house within the church compound.

The church attracts a global following of Christians who believe Prophet TB Joshua raises the dead.

Pretoria described the search and rescue operation as “very fluid” but defended the credibility of its count of 67 dead, saying it was based on records and information on the ground from five tour groups that had arranged for South African worshippers to go to Lagos.

“This number is based on credible information,” foreign ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela said.

Late on Tuesday Zuma told the SABC national broadcaster that an unknown number of South Africans were “not yet accounted for” and that the nation needed to “grieve together.”

Spokesman Mac Maharaj later said the government believed around 300 South Africans from four to five groups were visiting the church on Friday but it was not clear how many were on the spot when the tragedy struck.

“It’s a very popular church with South Africans,” Maharaj said.