7 dead, 39 still unaccounted for in South Africa’s building collapse

By Hassan Isilow

Rescue workers in South Africa’s coastal city of George are racing against time with hopes of finding more trapped construction workers alive at a multi-story building that collapsed Monday afternoon.

The building under construction trapped over 70 workers, 36 have been pulled out of the rubble, but seven of those have been confirmed dead. Thirty-nine others are still unaccounted for.

In a statement on Wednesday, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said that a multi-disciplinary rescue team of more than 200 emergency services staff from across the province are helping in the rescue efforts.

Winde said the provincial government has put forward all available resources to the emergency operation.

Local television stations are showing rescue workers digging through the rubble with hopes of pulling out more workers alive.

Rescue workers say they have established communication with some of those still trapped and hope to reach them. Families and friends of those still trapped are waiting at the scene.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the relatives of those who died in the building collapse.

“The President’s thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones as well as the families of close to 50 people who are trapped in the rubble,” Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.

He said investigations into the cause of the incident must aim to prevent a repeat of this disaster.