Early on Tuesday, emergency teams were tirelessly sifting through wreckage from a monumental building collapse in George, a South African city. The devastating incident, which has resulted in at least five fatalities and numerous individuals still entombed within the debris, has sent shockwaves through the nation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa extended his sympathies to those affected and called for a full inquiry. His office released a statement highlighting the importance of understanding the accident’s origins, not only to provide closure for the local community but also to prohibit a similar tragedy in future.
The local governing body of George, a charming city situated on the eastern coast from Cape Town, reported that 26 builders present during the tragic collapse have been extricated from the site. However, an alarming total of 49 individuals are still missing.
Three emergency response crews are making concerted efforts across distinct sectors of the chaotic scene. Aerial drone footage captured rescue teams painstakingly removing detritus in their efforts to locate those lying beneath.
Western Cape disaster management chief, Colin Deiner, conversed with news reporters at the site, communicating his team’s ongoing focus on areas where they’ve detected sounds of survivors. A surveillance video secured by Reuters depicted the heart-wrenching sight of a dust cloud formed at the moment of structural failing on Monday afternoon.