Cape Town - A massive search began at about 2pm yesterday to find the workers who were among the 75 construction crew on site when a five-storey building collapsed at a construction site in George.
By 9pm, 53 people remained trapped under the rubble. Two men had died by then and 20 others had been injured.
Today, May 7, at 5.15am, George Municipality said four patients had been declared dead, 24 people had been removed from the rubble and 51 were unaccounted for.
At 7.15am today, five patients were declared dead, 25 people had been removed from the rubble and 49 remained unaccounted for.
At 9am today, the death toll and number of people unaccounted for remained the same as earlier, and another person had been removed from the rubble.
The municipality said the status of patients were 11 red, three yellow, seven green and five blue.
At 11.30am, the death toll stood at six and another person was found alive and rescued.
More updates are to follow throughout the day.
Premier Alan Winde said it was a major operation and that the Western Cape had resources that had come in yesterday and last night to assist. Several other provinces were offering their assistance.
“We are staggering that support as we need it as it is going to take a few days. It is not going to be dealt with very quickly.
“When people are trapped underneath layers of concrete, you’ve got to remove those layers very carefully.”
Winde said that he had visited the families as many of them had been on-site, and that psychosocial facilities had been made available to the families.
On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the family of the construction workers who were killed.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the relatives and friends of five people who have died in an incident where a building collapsed in George in the Southern Cape,” the Presidency said.
“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,” it said.
Rescue personnel, among them services from the City of Cape Town, Breede Vallei and Worcester, have been working throughout the night to find those who remained trapped.
Three rescue teams are each working on a different part of the site.
The municipality is urging anyone who wishes to provide drinking water, Lucozade, wine gums or any food for the emergency services while they are on-site.
This can be delivered the tent site via Ivy Street at 79 Victoria St, Delplan Consulting, which is being manned by Gift of the Givers and Herman Pienaar of LoveGeorge.
*Additional reporting Robin-Lee Francke.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za