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JOHANNESBURG — A Pentecostal Church building collapsed in Ndlangubo in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa killing 13 congregants.
The churchgoers gathered for a Passover session on Thursday night when the tragedy happened. A preliminary report has blamed the perpetual rainfall in the northern area of the province for contributing to a part of the building caving in.
The provincial Co-operative Governance Department’s spokesperson Lennox Mabaso: “A building that was being used by congregants belonging to the Pentecostal Church collapsed, leaving a total of 13 worshippers reportedly dead.”
The KwaZulu-Natal government says the incident could have been avoided if all the necessary precautions had been taken. Police have opened an inquest docket and spent several hours at the scene to collect evidence that could help the authorities to understand why the wall collapsed.
But KZN Premier Willies Mchunu’s spokesperson, Thami Ngidi, said it must now be determined whether the structure met all the building requirements.
“These are unnecessary deaths that could have been avoided if we had taken the necessary precautions. We want clarity through an investigation led by the police and Cogta,” Ngidi said. — ewn.co.za
derick.khumalo