A 28 year old man Khathuatshelo Ramovha who was a survivour of the Synagogue building crash that has killed 80 people, including 67 of his compatriots according to South African President, Jacob Zuma, has said he heard something that sounded like a wired bomb before the building came crashing down.
The 28-year-old told BBC he heard a strange hissing sound just after sitting down for lunch in the dining hall last Friday. He managed to hide under a table as the building came down.
Immediately when I want to start to eat, I just felt like something like a blast on the wall. I can’t explain what it is. It made a small sound; something like a wired bomb, so quick and the building was coming down. So I lost my consciousness. After probably 30 minutes or about an hour I woke up. When I woke up, I saw rubbles, so dark, no oxygen, nothing. People were screaming, people were praying, people were crying; my leg, my head. I was not feeling any pain. I was under the table for hours which my food was on top before the incident. I was under that table. Surely it is that table that saved me because when the rubble came down, it touched that table and I was under it. Probably if it touches me first, it will crush me.
Mr Ramovha said it was terrifying, but part of God’s plan. He said that earlier on Friday, one of the church preachers had appeared to warn worshippers:
“He kept saying: ‘Uncommon blessing attract uncommon challenges. Be ready for any activity, any danger.’ It was like he was encouraging us to be strong.”
On how he was rescued, he says:
I heard a very loud sound that broke the rubbles. They were able to get inside. When they take it out they scream; are there people there. We said yes we are here. You alive? Yes we are alive. They told us to crawl through the hole they made. And we crawled. The first lady crawled, 2nd, 3rd, I was the first male. All the first three persons were female and then they took me out.
If anything, the incident has strengthened Mr Ramovha’s faith in TB Joshua and his ministry.
“I will go back to Nigeria when I get a chance,” he said, explaining that the all-inclusive trip organised by church-approved agencies cost close to $2,000 (£1,220).
These photos were taken of a mysterious plane flying low near the building before it collapsed.
