Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Church walls fall on women and boy
THE 13 congregants who were killed when a KwaZulu-Natal church collapsed had been asleep at the time of the incident, police revealed yesterday.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, said an inquest docket had been opened and confirmed 12 of the 13 people killed in the collapse were women, while the 13th was a boy.
“The congregants were sleeping in the building after the church service ended just after 10pm. There was heavy wind and rain and the walls collapsed,” she said.
The Police Search and Rescue unit was on the scene searching for survivors.
The church building collapse happened at the Pentecostal Church in Ndlangubo, near Richards Bay, on the KZN north coast.
Ten other congregants sustained minor injuries, while six were seriously injured in the tragedy.
KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube was reportedly on her way to the church along with members of the provincial disaster management team.
The disaster management team will assess the situation in order to devise a plan to deal with the tragedy and pay their respects to the families of the victims.
In statements, the DA and the ANC in KZN said they were saddened by the deaths of the congregants.
Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, the ANC KZN spokesperson, said: “The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal sends its deepest condolences to the relatives of the 13 people who sadly lost their lives when the side wall of the Pentecostal Church building collapsed following heavy rainfall in the Ndlangubo area of uMhlathuze Local Municipality last night.
“We join hands alongside the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones at this poignant time of the Passover, due to such a sudden and unexpected disaster. We join hands with them, acutely aware of the excruciating pain that they must be going through. We pray that the Lord Almighty extends His hand to comfort them and soothe their wounds at this difficult time,” she said.
Zwakele Mncwango, the DA’s KZN leader and premier candidate, said: “The DA in KwaZulu-Natal sends its heartfelt condolences to the families of 13 people killed in a church collapse. We are sad to learn that 13 congregants who were gathered for a Passover session on Thursday night, lost their lives.
“We are further urging those who will be travelling to further away places for Good Friday service, to be vigilant on the road ensuring a safe return to their respective homes,” he said.