Tears flow as remains of Nigerian church victims are returned to families
The earthly remains of 18 of the 24 victims of The Nigerian Church tragedy from Mbombela returned home.
MBOMBELA – Twenty-four candles were lit on Monday for the 24 Mpumalanga victims who died in the Nigerian church tragedy.
More than 400 family members and friends gathered at the provincial disaster management centre, amid tears and sobs, to grieve their loved ones who had died when a church building collapsed in Lagos on September 12.
Mpumalanga premier Mr David Mabuza accompanied the 18 families to Waterkloof Military Air Force Base this past weekend to receive the earthly remains of their relatives. Those of the other six victims will return home after completion of DNA tests for identification.
The remains were loaded in Nigeria into specialised provincial government refrigerated trucks and flown to Waterkloof. From there they were moved to Themba Hospital’s mortuary on Monday where families can collect them to have their own memorial services.
“The government has provided the mourning families with psychological support, transport and food, and will continue to walk side by side with them during their journey of healing,” Mabuza said.
In total 116 people died when the building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed. The death toll included 84 South Africans.
The remains of 74 were returned home. The others are still awaiting identification.
“We hope they will be returned to their families soon,” said Mabuza.
Gospel singers performed as the
24 families marched to the front of the hall to receive candles representing their loved ones.
Psychologists and nurses of the Department of Health moved between the crowds to console those who were crying hysterically. They sat with the mothers and wives, prayed with them and gave them water.
When director general
Ms Nonhlanhla Mkhize read out the names of the deceased the relatives sobbed uncontrollably.
Among the speakers at the memorial were Bishop Gordon Mthembu of the South African Council of Churches and Ms Thandi Shongwe of the provincial legislature.
“We should not criticise them for dying in this terrible way,” said Shongwe, “as they were in the house of God as part of their spiritual journey. We must continue to pray as we do now for the families who seek divine intervention in this time of grief.”
