- An exhaustive search for a missing construction worker trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in South Africa is coming to an end.
- On May 6th, an unfinished five-story apartment building collapsed in George City, killing at least 33 people.
- The death toll is expected to rise to more than 50 as operations move into recovery.
An exhaustive search for missing construction workers trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in South Africa ended on Friday after nearly two weeks, with 19 people still missing, authorities said. announced.
On May 6, at least 33 people were confirmed dead when an unfinished five-story apartment building collapsed in the city of George on the south coast of the country.
The death toll is expected to eventually rise to more than 50 people as recovery and mop-up operations move on. The decision, announced by the City of George and its disaster management department, means rescuers do not expect to find any other survivors in the rubble, and the remaining 19 workers who have been missing for 12 days have been confirmed. This means that the person is presumed dead.
Rescue efforts continue to rescue workers trapped in building collapse in South Africa; one more survivor found
The tragedy was one of the worst building collapses in South Africa. Officials said 81 workers were on site when the building collapsed. Twenty-nine survivors were pulled from the rubble, some of whom remain hospitalized.
On May 7, 2024, survivors emerge from the scene of a building collapse in the city of George, about 400 miles east of Cape Town, South Africa. A thorough rescue operation searches for a missing construction worker trapped under rubble. A building collapse in South Africa ended on Friday after almost two weeks, with 19 people still missing, authorities said. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the collapsed building on Thursday to show support for the families of the victims, emergency workers and others who have been at the scene for more than 250 hours, working day and night shifts to find survivors.
In the days following the collapse, more than 600 emergency responders and other personnel participated in the search, which was scaled back.
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There have been some amazing stories of survival, including one man who was found alive after being trapped for six days without food or water as thousands of tonnes of concrete collapsed. Rescuers say he suffered incredibly minor injuries.
City officials said once the rescue operation was over, the building would be handed over to the National Employment and Labor Department for an investigation into the collapse. Several other investigations will be carried out, including by police and the Western Cape provincial government.
Many of the workers were foreigners from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
The construction contractor responsible for the building has been under intense scrutiny and an investigation will examine whether it complied with safety standards. The building was expected to be completed in July or August.
