Members of the Maputsoe Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were mourning Sunday when they met for their weekly sacrament service, one day after a multi-vehicle crash killed eight girls and two Young Women’s leaders.
A total of 26 girls, all between the ages of 12 and 17, were traveling with the two adults to a district Young Women activity on Saturday when the minibus they were in was part of collisions involving multiple vehicles.
Thirteen other girls remain hospitalized for treatment of the injuries they suffered in the crash and subsequent fire, a church official said. Five other girls were treated for injuries and discharged.
The Young Women’s activity was canceled when news of the accident reached organizers, said Nelly Makatleho Moorosi, the church’s Lesotho communications director.
Details about the tragic accident remain incomplete, said Elder Siyabonga Mkhize, an Africa South Area Seventy for the church. He said people in other vehicles also were killed or injured.
“The local authorities are doing a formal investigation. All that we know at this moment is that it was a collision involving several motor vehicles, which, you know, eventually obviously caused the minibus to explode,” he said.
Moorosi visited some of the hospitalized girls over the weekend. She said the church was receiving support from Lesotho’s queen, prime minister and members of parliament, as well as friends of other faiths, including the Catholic Church.
“It is indeed a devastating situation,” Moorosi said. “We were able to visit with the families and give the support that they need. Even the church psychiatrist was there to give counseling to the families affected by this tragedy.”
She said the mood in the branch’s Sunday sacrament meeting was heavy.
“The two speakers gave their talks to comfort all of us who have been affected by this,” Moorosi said. “It was a very hard moment, but the Spirit was very strong.”
The church is ensuring that the girls injured in the crash are getting the necessary medical care in the right hospitals, Elder Mkhize said.
“We’re also coordinating logistical support for family members considering that Lesotho is a rural country and moving around is not easy,” he said. “So we’ve coordinated efforts to make sure that we help a lot of those family members be close to their loved ones who are currently in hospital and those trying to identify and work through (issues related to) those that have passed on.”
Lesotho is located in the middle of the country of South Africa, where he said other church members have been sending messages of love and support.
“It almost feels like they’re part of South Africa in a way, because they’re right in the middle of the country,” he said.
“It’s been a difficult moment, but we are encouraged by their faith, their strength and the healing that some are experiencing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
Officials expect that the branch will hold a joint funeral for the girls in two or three weeks. It is expected to be a large memorial service involving government, church and community leaders.