Rescuers feverishly search for trapped survivors; 75 construction workers were on site during Monday’s collapse.
At least five people are dead and around fifty others remain trapped following the collapse of a building in South Africa.
Rescue teams said Tuesday they had contacted survivors buried under rubble after working overnight at the site in the coastal town of George, in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The five-story building, under construction, collapsed Monday afternoon. No cause has yet been given.
As of Tuesday morning, 26 of the 75 construction workers on site at the time of the collapse had been pulled from the rubble. Five were declared dead; the others were taken to hospital.
Of the 49 people still missing, rescuers said they had contacted 11 people.
“Four of them are trapped in a basement,” Colin Deiner, chief director of disaster management, told a news conference, adding that it was possible others were alive .
The priority is to get everyone who is still stuck out, Deiner said, adding that it could take much of the day. The rescuers will then begin the process of lifting the different floors.
“It’s a very difficult operation,” he said. “So many people stuck in a building like that, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You literally have to drill through the concrete and cut the reinforcements.
The Municipality of George confirms that as of 9am this morning, May 7, a total of five (5) patients were reported deceased.https://t.co/j8PPwVde0U
– Municipality of George (@george_mun) May 7, 2024
It is not yet clear why the building, located near the city center, suddenly collapsed. Police have opened an investigation and authorities are investigating.
Footage from nearby security cameras showed the concrete structure and metal scaffolding collapse at 2:09 p.m. local time (12:09 GMT) on Monday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday sent his condolences to the families of those affected and called on investigators to work quickly to rescue survivors.
“Investigations into the cause of the incident must aim to provide community closure and prevent a repeat of this disaster,” the statement said.
At least 11 of the injured were in a “red” condition, authorities said, indicating that “emergency” treatment was needed for critical injuries under South Africa’s triage procedures.
Three people were classified as requiring “yellow” or “urgent” care, while 12 others were in less critical “green” and “blue” conditions.
