Bodies still in Nigeria

The families of those killed in the collapse of the guest house at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, in Lagos, Nigeria, will have to wait even longer for the repatriation of the remains of their loved ones.

With the death toll now at 150, Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe said yesterday that the identification of the bodies would take longer than first thought because the site had been forensically compromised.

"Nigerian law needs to be followed," he said.

Radebe said postmortem results and death certificates had to be completed in Nigeria before the bodies could be brought home.

Speaking in Pretoria, he said the South African death toll had been revised.

It was previously reported that 84 South Africans had died, but Radebe said four of the 84 were not citizens but foreigners resident in this country.

He discouraged families from viewing the bodies, which, he said, were "not in good condition".