116 persons died in Synagogue Church building collapse – pathologist

A Consultant Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, on Tuesday said that 116 persons died in the Sept.12 when a guest, owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), collapsed in Lagos.
Obafunwa, who is the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, made this known while presenting a preliminary report to a Coroner’s inquest set up to investigate the cause of the building collapse.
Led in evidence by Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, Counsel to the Lagos State Government, Obafunwa said that the final report and identification of the dead bodies would be completed in the next two weeks.
The inquest, which is being presided over by Mr Oyetade Komolafe, was instituted by the Lagos State Government.
Obafunwa said that autopsies conducted on the bodies revealed that the victims died as a result of crush injuries also known as “traumatic rhabdomyolysis”.
He said that 46 of the bodies were deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary while 63 were taken to the Mainland General Hospital mortuary in Yaba.
According to him, six bodies were brought to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) morgue at Ikeja.
He added that the number increased to seven following the death of one of the victims rushed to LASUTH.
“Some of the bodies were at the decomposing stage and mutilated, severely crushed, suffered multiple injuries, fractured bones, fractured limbs as well as skull injuries,” the pathologist said.
Obafunwa said that a team of forensic pathologists and dental surgeons conducted various tests including DNA test and dental analysis on the bodies for the purpose of identification.
“At this moment, we are putting together the autopsy report, the dental report, the photographs; we will be including the microscopic findings on the autopsy report,” the expert added.
He said that the team was waiting for the report of finger printing, DNA analysis as well as the list of lodgers it had requested from the church before finalising its job.
Obafunwa assured one of the victims’ husband and a South African, Anthony Van Der Byl, that the body of his wife, Louise, would be released at the completion of the report.
“We are working closely with the South African Department of Health.
“They are assisting us with reference samples and I know that we are moving closer to the end of the process,” the pathologist said.
Confirming the development, Mr Louis Mnguni, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, told the court that the samples were still being analysed at the laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa.
Also testifying, Mr Oladotun Lasoju of the Lagos State Ministry of Works said that the ministry’s team of engineers had conducted tests on the materials used in constructing the building.
Lasoju said:” We visited the site as part of the rudiments in the investigation.
“I want to assure the court that the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory is working assiduously, and I believe the result will be out in a maximum period of three weeks.”
However, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Head of Operations, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that 86 bodies were recovered while 131 persons were rescued.
The case was adjourned till Oct. 29 for further hearing (NAN)