Indian among 23 Christians killed in Nepal church collapse
September 30th, 2009 - 11:16 am ICT by IANSSubject:Indian among 23 Christians killed in Nepal church collapse
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Nepal-Religion/Society
Indian among 23 Christians killed in Nepal church collapse
Kathmandu, Sept 30 (IANS) A get-together during the festive season in Nepal turned into a stark tragedy early Wednesday morning when 23 Christians, including an Indian, were crushed to death in a church instituted by an Indian convert in eastern Nepal.
Most of the victims were women who died when a three-storey bamboo structure, built to accommodate Protestant Christians of the El Shaddai sect who had congregated in the Zion Prayer Hall in Dharan town in eastern Nepal?s Sunsari district, gave way around 12.30am.
?We have recovered 23 bodies while 63 people have been hurt and have been admitted to hospital,? police official Raj Kumar Pandey told IANS.
The gathering was held at the end of Dashain, Nepal?s biggest festival, as a festive get-together for Christians from eastern Nepal and Indian towns across the border.
Nearly 2000 people had assembled at the Zion Prayer Hall and around 400 people were sleeping in the makeshift building when it collapsed.
Besides 17 women, four young boys and girls were also killed while six were men, police said.
The dead Indian woman has been identified as Nika Rai, a 35-year-old from Guathan in Siliguri in India?s West Bengal state.
Two more Indians were injured. They are Karma Chodin, 29, and Sarada Rai, both of whom are from Sikkim.
Rescue efforts were initially hampered as all government offices are closed till Wednesday in Nepal to celebrate Dashain, the biggest Hindu festival in the nascent republic.
Nepal, once a Hindu kingdom, became secular three years ago.
The El Shaddai sect was founded by Bhakt Singh, a Punjab lad who went abroad to study engineering and became a convert though initially, according to his own admission, he was both anti-Christian and anti-Muslim.
Singh passed away in Chennai about three years ago but the sect he founded flourishes in Nepal with several churches, including in the capital city Kathmandu.
Most of its followers are from the Indian and British Armies.
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Tags: boys and girls, collapse, dashain, eastern nepal, el shaddai, festive season, government offices, hindu festival, hindu kingdom, indian woman, nika, police official, prayer hall, protestant christians, rescue efforts, sarada, siliguri, stark tragedy, west bengal state, young boys
