Military personnel supported emergency services using rescue dogs and earth moving equipment to identify and dig out survivors from the ruins of the church in Ciudad Madero.

At least 98 members of Mackenzie's Good News International Church have died and the death toll has been steadily rising since authorities started exhuming mass graves.

The youth and sports minister says her statement is consistent with her answers about the programme given in Parliament a week ago.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim says the investigation paper will be referred to the deputy public prosecutor's office once it is finished.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan accuses the youth and sports minister of taking past statements out of context in defence of the 'Jom Ziarah Gereja' programme.

Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari says the programme is good in principle but will cause concern.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh issues a warning to Impact Malaysia, an NGO under the youth and sports ministry.

Benedict died in a former monastery where he had lived since his shock resignation in 2013.

The group has been in the spotlight because the man accused of killing Abe was reportedly motivated by resentment against the church, which has been accused of pressuring members to make hefty donations.

Links to the church have become a headache for Kishida since July 8, when former premier Shinzo Abe was shot and his suspected killer said his mother was bankrupted by the church and blamed Abe for promoting it.

The violence at St Francis Catholic Church in the city of Owo during Sunday mass was a rare assault in a region usually considered safer than others in the country, and drew widespread international condemnation.

He also hid bags containing Molotov cocktails and spare ammunition around the building, before opening fire with two handguns.