“From our group, there were eight people, some from Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga,” said an employee of Voxismart Travel, who declined to be named.
“They left last week Thursday. There were no children.”
She was unsure if any from their group were among the 67 South Africans killed in the collapse.
“We don't have any information at (the) moment. We are waiting for Mr Lamula Mabunda (one of the tour leaders) to update us.”
Mabunda and his wife Mamsy Mabunda were the group's tour leaders.
A multi-storey guesthouse at the Scoan in Lagos collapsed on Friday killing numerous people, including 67 South Africans. They were believed to be part of five South African tour groups lodging at the church of faith healer “prophet” TB Joshua.
According to its website, Voxismart Travel is primarily dedicated to arranging visits from South Africa to Scoan.
Lamula Mabunda could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Rescue SA has been put on standby to leave for Nigeria and help with the search and rescue operation.
“It's just a standby at this stage. Foreign affairs (the department of international relations) asked us to put a team on standby,” Rescue SA CEO Ian Scher told Sapa.
“There has been no further correspondence from them... but there is a meeting today (Wednesday) with different roleplayers and they may decide if we should go.” - Sapa
* The figures for dead and injured people in this disaster are still being collated. IOL will use the latest figures available to us, but be aware the numbers will fluctuate as the story is updated.
SA rescue, DNA experts heading to Nigeria
Pretoria - A team of search and rescue and body identification experts is flying to Nigeria to assist in the search for South African victims of the church building collapse in Lagos.
- Are you there or do you have friends or family who are affected? Send us your stories..
IOL reported on Wednesday that about 18 South Africans remain unaccounted for after the guesthouse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) collapsed last Friday.
SA High Commissioner to Nigeria Lulu Mnguni told eNCA the death toll of 67 South Africans could rise - but may also fall if survivors are found. A South African woman was pulled from the rubble on Tuesday morning with only a broken wrist, according to the IOL report.
Most victims from SA
Mnguni said it was difficult to identify the remains of South African victims because a doctor they had sent to the mortuary was turned away.
It is believed that most of the people in the guesthouse when it collapsed were South Africans. According to the church, about 500 South Africans visit every week.
The Star reported that five different South African church tour groups, comprising about 300 people, were staying in the guesthouse when it collapsed.
About 20 people are in hospital and 248 are hospitalised, Mnguni said.
Presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj said the number of South Africans killed was based on information received from friends and family of the victims.
Polokwane agency organised church trip
Johannesburg - A Polokwane-based travel agency confirmed that one of its tour groups had been lodging at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) in Nigeria when it collapsed.
"From our group, there were eight people, some from Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga," said an employee of Voxismart Travel, who declined to be named.
"They left last week Thursday. There were no children."
She was unsure if any from their group were among the 67 South Africans killed in the collapse.
"We don't have any information at [the] moment. We are waiting for Mr Lamula Mabunda [one of the tour leaders] to update us."
Mabunda and his wife Mamsy Mabunda were the group's tour leaders.
A multi-storey guesthouse at the Scoan in Lagos collapsed on Friday killing numerous people, including 67 South Africans. They were believed to be part of five South African tour groups lodging at the church of faith healer "prophet" TB Joshua.
News agencies reported that over 100 survivors had been rescued.
According to its website, Voxismart Travel is primarily dedicated to arranging visits from South Africa to Scoan.
Lamula Mabunda could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Rescue SA has been put on standby to leave for Nigeria and help with the search and rescue operation.
"It's just a standby at this stage. Foreign affairs [the department of international relations] asked us to put a team on standby," Rescue SA CEO Ian Scher told Sapa.
"There has been no further correspondence from them... but there is a meeting today [Wednesday] with different roleplayers and they may decide if we should go."
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