South Africa church collapse: 13 dead in Easter service church disaster – where is KZN?

At least 13 people have died and multiple more have been injured after a wall collapsed during an Easter service at the Pentecostal Holiness Church in South Africa on Friday. According to local emergency services 29 people were rushed to hospital following the devastating collapse. A local police spokesperson linked the tragedy to heavy rainfall in the area on Thursday night.

Nomusa Dube-Ncube, a provincial minister, told local broadcaster eNCA: “We received a call on Thursday night that part of a church wall had collapsed on congregants due to heavy rain and wind.”

Worshippers had gathered in the church, located in Diangubo, KwaZulu-Natal, for a religious service organised as a precursor to Easter Sunday.

On Friday, a special prayer service was held in a large tent in front of the church.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Mbele told the News24 television channel an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the tragedy was underway.

She said: “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. The 13 confirmed dead are 12 women and one boy.

“An inquest docket has been opened and police are still at the scene.”

Leader of main South African opposition party the Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane, has offered his condolences.

He said: “I want to send my deep condolences to the relatives of all the South Africans who lost their lives.

“This weekend is a historic weekend, it’s an opportunity for Christians all over the world to gather together to pray and to celebrate and to reflect and really look at Good Friday.”

Mr Maimane also emphasised the importance of building safety regulations.

He added: ”So it’s tragic when you hear about citizens who are dying and my prayer goes out to all those family members and I send my deep condolences, but also make a call that we need to be able to assist churches to be able to build infrastructure that will ensure that communities can worship in safe places.”

Where is KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)?

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is situated on South Africa’s eastern seaboard, on the edge of the Indian Ocean.

The area is a province in South Africa, created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province were merged.

Neighbouring countries and provinces include Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mpumalanga, Free State and Eastern Cape.

source: express.co.uk