Pretoria – The Mpumalanga Provincial Government is holding a provincial memorial service for the 18 people who died when a building collapsed in Nigeria two months ago.
In total, 81 South Africans died when a guesthouse belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos collapsed on 12 September, and of those, 23 are from Mpumalanga.
Seventy-four deceased bodies where brought back into the country yesterday and after a formal reception, were transported to the various provincial mortuaries.
The province is awaiting the remaining five bodies to be repatriated from Nigeria.
The memorial service, which will be held in Mbombela, will be attended by Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza. All the deceased family members have been invited to attend.
According to Mpumalanga spokesperson Zibonele Mncwango, the families will decide as to when to bury their beloved ones.
“The provincial government will assist the families by taking the bodies to the undertakers closer to the deceased families,” Mncwango said.
Of the 26 people who were injured in the collapse, only one remains in hospital while the others have been reunited with their families. – SAnews.gov.za
