Rescue operations were initiated following a collapse at a construction site in George, South Africa, resulting in three fatalities and numerous individuals trapped. Twenty-four people were rescued and taken to hospitals, with fifty-one still trapped, as reported by the municipality of George.
“Seventy-five members of construction crew have been confirmed on site at that time of the incident,” Western Cape premier Alan Winde said earlier.
CCTV footage captured the moment the building crumbled, causing a cloud of dust. Theresa Jeyi, a local councillor, described witnessing the collapse.
“I saw one guy was working and then ‘boom’ and I saw the whole building collapsed… I’m also traumatised. It is very sad,” Theresa Jeyi, a local councillor, told reporters at the scene.
Police, rescue teams, and sniffer dogs were deployed to the scene, with efforts underway to locate trapped individuals. Mayor Leon van Wyk mentioned the ongoing rescue operation, expected to continue throughout the night.
“This is going to be a really lengthy exercise and probably going to go right through the night,” he said.
