- Two workers are confirmed dead and 53 people remain trapped after an apartment complex under construction in George, South Africa, collapses.
- There were 75 workers on site when the collapse was reported just after 2pm on Monday.
- The cause of the collapse has not yet been reported and is under investigation.
A high-rise apartment building under construction collapsed in a coastal city in South Africa on Monday, killing two construction workers and leaving 53 people trapped under the rubble, authorities said.
An additional 20 workers were pulled from the destroyed wreckage of the building and are being treated for injuries at various hospitals, city officials said.
The building collapsed just after 2 p.m. in the city of George, about 400 miles east of Cape Town on South Africa’s southern coast.
Construction building collapses in South Africa, trapping 40 workers
Hours later, more than 100 emergency personnel were on the scene and are expected to work through the night using sniffer dogs to search for survivors, some of whom may have been trapped under a large piece of concrete. There were also people.
The city of George said cranes and other heavy equipment were being dispatched to assist in rescue efforts, and more emergency responders from nearby towns and cities were being sent. They were expected to arrive at the scene around midnight.
The South African flag flies against a cloudy sky in St. Petersburg, Russia, September 15, 2015. (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
According to the city, there were 75 construction workers at the construction site at the time of the collapse, and family and friends had gathered at nearby City Hall to wait for news.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the tragedy and police have opened a case, but there was currently no information on why the building suddenly collapsed.
Marco Ferreira, local representative of the non-governmental organization Gift of the Givers, was on the scene with his team, providing support and food and drink to the rescuers. Gift of the Givers is a charity often supported during disasters in South Africa. Ferreira said they also provided three sniffer dogs and their handlers to help with the search.
“The situation at this stage is still in the rescue phase,” Ferreira told television news channel eNCA. “I don’t know, but it’s probably going to last for days. We have some cranes to lift the concrete, but it’s not a pretty sight.”
Authorities did not immediately provide details of the injuries among the workers taken to hospital, but South African media reported that many of the workers suffered serious injuries. According to George City, the two employees who died were confirmed dead after being hospitalized.
George Borough Mayor Leon Van Wyk said: “Our thoughts are with the families and everyone affected who are still waiting to hear from their loved ones.”
The Western Cape government said it was closely monitoring the situation and was sending personnel to assist with the emergency response.
“All necessary support is being provided to emergency personnel to speed up the response. Authorities are currently concentrating on saving lives. This is our top priority at this stage,” Western Cape said. Prime Minister Alan Winde, Head of Government, said: said in a statement.
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Winde said the central government had been briefed on the rescue operation.
