SA woman found alive in rubble at TB Joshua church

Lagos – A South African woman who was trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations guesthouse in Lagos, Nigeria, for five days has been found uninjured by rescuers.

Lindiwe Ndwandwe drank water from a broken pipe while she was stuck in a tiny space in the ruins of prophet TB Joshua’s church guesthouse, the Times reported.

The death toll from the tragedy has reached 70, 67 of whom are South African, say reports. About 100 survivors have been rescued.

South African consul-general in Nigeria, Sam Monaisa, said Ndwandwe’s rescue was “amazing” and gives hope that others might be found alive.

The exact circumstances of the collapse as well as the death toll remained unclear on Wednesday, five days after the disaster, AP reported.

While Nigerian government officials said shoddy construction was a possible cause, Joshua suggested Islamic extremists who are active in Nigeria were responsible, AP says. He sought to rally the faithful with a Facebook message about resilience.

“Hard times may test me, they cannot destroy me,” the message read.

Critics say the televangelist hinders efforts to curtail Aids and tuberculosis with testimonies by church-goers that faith and his holy water can cure both diseases.

To bolster allegations of an attack on the building that collapsed, Joshua’s television station, Emmanuel TV, showed security camera video of what it says was a “strange aircraft” flying low over the building four times before the structure plunges into the ground in seconds, startling pedestrians in the foreground. – News24