Cape Town - By 9pm last night, 53 people remained trapped under rubble from a collapsed five-storey building at a construction site in George, while two men died and 20 others were injured.
As of 5:15am this morning, 7 May, George Municipality confirmed that a total of four patients have been declared deceased, 24 have been removed from the rubble of the collapsed multi-story construction site, leaving 51 persons unaccounted for.
A massive search began at about 2pm to rescue the affected workers among the 75 construction crew on site, the George Municipality said.
George mayor Leon van Wyk said: “We were told to be quiet and to switch off any equipment because the rescuers were talking to somebody under the rubble and trying to remove parts of the debris to get to the person or persons trapped.
“The operations to try and get to the people down there were expected to go through the night, yesterday.
“It appeared that there were still people who were alive.
“It becomes a very tricky operation when a building collapses and you have various slabs of concrete and they need to be moved very carefully, that they don’t cause further injuries of collapse.”
It is understood, according to an online ad, that the building was to be an apartment block from Neo-Victoria Luxurious Apartments, described as an upmarket property that combines the modern world with simplistic living.
George Municipal Disaster Services, together with a number of other stakeholders, disaster risk management, the police and ambulance services, were at the building that collapsed on Victoria Street.
Senior communications officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe said: “Following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in Victoria Street this afternoon, Disaster Service teams from George and Garden Route District Municipality are currently involved in the rescue operation. SAPS are on site.
“Fifty-three emergency personnel are on their way from the City of Cape Town and Worcester Disaster Services as well as Colin Deiner, Western Cape Provincial Disaster Services will be on site as soon as possible to assist.
“The collapse occurred just after 2pm, with a construction crew of approximately 70 on site.
“Twenty-two patients have been retrieved and sent to hospitals throughout the province. Currently the rescue operation remains under way with over 80 rescue personnel on site.”
He added that family and friends of the construction workers involved in the incident were being given space to gather at the foyer of the main municipal building and will be assisted.
Police spokesperson Christopher Spies said an inquest docket was opened after the body of a man was retrieved from the debris.
“The search and rescue operation is ongoing. Multidisciplinary search and rescue teams descended to assist. These teams will be co-ordinated by EMS specialists from a joint operational centre.”
Cape Town safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said after hearing about the incident, they assembled 10 firefighters and deployed two trucks.
George ward councillor Theresa Jeyi said she witnessed the horrific incident.
“I’m traumatised and emotional about what I saw. I was in a meeting with my colleagues at about 2pm.
“We went to stand outside the building and it overlooks the construction site. People were working, and then I saw the first level collapse and people were still confused about what was happening.
“It then caved in. We are all shocked about what happened and we send our condolences to the families of those who died and also send prayers to those who are injured.
“It was one of the greatest tragedies that happened in George.”
Mario Ferreira of the Gift of the Givers said they went in after receiving a call from the municipality for assistance. They asked if we could assist with sniffer dogs, and energy drinks for the rescue workers in the area, and there were about 60 of them.
“Further on, they asked for gloves to remove the rubble which we supplied. We’ve put some soup kitchens in place which we are bringing supplies to. The food will be given to workers, rescue workers and the families who are waiting in the area. We have three sniffer dogs and their handlers from Cape Town.”