A church in South Africa collapsed on Holy Thursday: at least 13 dead

At least 13 people died and 29 people were injured in South Africa by the partial collapse of the roof of a church during a Mbad in the KwaZulu Natal Province (northeast), said the authorities.

The accident was recorded during a mbad in a church in the city of Dlangubo, north of Durban, the country's third largest city, said Lennox Mabaso, spokesman for the provincial department of local affairs.

"The roof of the building sank due to heavy rains last night (Thursday)"said Mabaso in the eNCA information network, "at the moment we have 13 dead."

A spokesperson for the province's emergency services (EMS), Robert McKenzie, confirmed this balance. "What a tragedy: 13 dead and 29 injured treated by emergency services," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the church and, according to information, Some parishioners have asked for help to build a new building.

The Minister of Labor, Mildred Oliphant, a member of the Church, He badured that "even in this difficult moment, we must always trust God".

As the property had a solid structure, local officials such as Lennox Masabo attributed tragedy to an "act of God". "Even a president could not have saved this situation," he said.

The believers were sleeping in the church as part of a ritual to commemorate the Christian holiday Easter.