Nigeria: Lives lost as church obstructed rescue

Johannesburg - Nigeria's emergency agency says lives were lost as church officials prevented workers from rescuing victims at the scene of a collapsed building in Lagos.

Most victims were South African.

Spokesperson Ibrahim Farinloye of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency tells The Associated Press that a multi-story shopping mall and guesthouse at televangelist TB Joshua's Synagogue, Church of All Nations collapsed at 12:44 on Friday but rescue workers did not get full access until after 17:00 on Sunday.

He says 80 bodies were recovered and 131 survivors were saved by the time the operation ended at 15:35 on Thursday.

Farinloye said on Friday that rescuers lost critical hours when most lives are saved.

Some rescue workers were attacked by church members who also smashed the camera of a TV journalist.