In a devastating turn of events, a multi-story apartment complex under construction collapsed in a coastal city in South Africa, leaving 5 persons confirmed dead and dozens of construction workers trapped under the debris for over 12 hours. The incident occurred in George, a city located about 400 kilometers east of Cape Town on the south coast.
“Rescue teams have been working tirelessly through the night to reach those trapped under the rubble,” stated Colin Deiner, the chief director of the provincial Western Cape Disaster Management and Fire and Rescue Services. “It’s a very tough operation… There’s a lot of concrete… so we think it will still take quite a while.”
According to authorities, the collapse, which transpired on Monday afternoon, has resulted in a tragic death toll of five individuals. At least 49 workers were still trapped within the wreckage, while 21 others were successfully rescued and taken to hospitals, with many sustaining severe injuries.
The rescue operation, which commenced immediately after the collapse, continued throughout the night, with over 100 emergency personnel and responders tirelessly working to locate and extricate the trapped workers. Utilizing sniffer dogs, cranes, and heavy lifting equipment, the rescuers faced the daunting task of navigating through the mangled concrete and metal structures to reach those in need.
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“We are hopeful of bringing out those who are trapped,” Deiner added. “Some of them were talking to rescuers but couldn’t move because they had limbs trapped under concrete.”
The George municipality revealed that there were a total of 75 workers present at the construction site during the collapse. Multiple rescue teams were deployed to various locations around the collapsed building in an effort to locate survivors.
“As our thoughts are with the families and all those affected who continue to wait on word of their loved ones,” said George Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk, “we assure them that every effort is being made to save lives.”
Amidst the ongoing rescue efforts, support poured in from various organizations and government agencies. The Gift of the Givers, a renowned charity in South Africa, provided assistance to the rescue teams, offering sustenance and deploying sniffer dogs to aid in the search operation.
“The situation at this stage is still very much in the rescue stages,” remarked Marco Ferreira, a local representative of the Gift of the Givers. “We don’t know, it’s probably going to carry on for days.”
The provincial and national governments mobilized additional resources to support the rescue operation, emphasizing the priority of saving lives above all else. With the situation still unfolding, officials remained dedicated to the task at hand, vowing to spare no effort in their rescue mission.
Source: Africa News