Nigeria church collapse survivor found
Sunday Alamba And Michelle Faul AP September 17, 2014, 5:16 am
Nigeria church collapse survivor foundAP Rescue workers carry a survivor from the rubble of a collapsed building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria
A woman has walked away only slightly injured after being pulled from the rubble of a building that collapsed in Nigeria four days ago.
The death toll from the collapse has risen to 60 from the fallen multi-storey building serving as a shopping mall and guesthouse at the sprawling campus of televangelist TB Joshua's Synagogue, Church of All Nations, on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.
"We rescued a woman, alive, around 2am," spokesman Ibrahim Farinloye of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency said.
"We found her under the rubble. She walked away with only a little dislocation on her hand. She is very, very lucky."
Rescue workers gather at the remains of a collapsed building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria. Photo: AP
He said she appeared middle-aged and was black, but he did not ask her nationality.
Workers have rescued 131 survivors, he said.
More than 1000 rescuers from several agencies are at the scene, he said of the pancaked building that was destroyed in clouds of dust and debris on Friday.
It is not known how many foreigners are among victims at the church that attracted people from around the world to experience the evangelical Joshua's preaching, prophecies and faith healing and to get his blessed water that some say has miraculous powers.
Rescue workers carry a survivor into an ambulance, from the rubble of a collapsed building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations. Photo: AP
South Africa's government said its diplomats are at the scene since at least five South African church tour groups were there at the time.
Joshua has tried to implicate Islamic extremists in the building collapse, publishing a video purporting to show a mysterious aircraft flying low over the building four times before the disaster.
Farinloye, however, said the building appears to have collapsed because of poor construction work.
He said workers were trying to build two additional floors onto an existing four-story structure without reinforcing the foundations.
