A multi-story residential building under construction has collapsed opposite the main offices of George Municipality. Emergency Services and Law Enforcement agencies are on the scene. According to a reliable source, over 40 people are trapped beneath the rubble.
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Emergency services are moving in and out of the scene. Victoria Street in the vicinity of the collapsed building has been cordoned off. Officials say they can't divulge more information at this stage.
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George Mayor, Leon van Wyk has confirmed that a number of workers are trapped underneath the collapsed building. He says excavation equipment is coming from Mossel Bay and Cape Town to assist with the rescue work.
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Anneke Grobler is one of the residents that felt the building collapsing. Her residence and workplace are a block away from the scene.
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Family members frantically looking for their loved ones are starting to arrive on the scene. Bystanders can be seen consoling some of them.
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Humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers, has also arrived on the scene to assist with hydration packs.
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UPDATE: George Municipality reports that about 70 people were on site when the building collapsed. 22 people have been rushed to hospital "throughout the province." 80 rescue personnel on site, more teams expected from Cape Town Worcester
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Mario Fereira from Gift of the Givers says they're also bringing in 3 sniffer dogs from Cape Town to assist with the rescue work.
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Police have confirmed one fatality at this point. As the night falls, rescue workers are continuing efforts to search for survivors.
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This is the picture of the collapsed building that was under construction. It was going to be residential units with a parking basement.
📸 Supplied
#GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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UPDATE [21:00]
Two people confirmed dead following the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse.
75 people were on site, and 20 have been hospitalised.
53 people are still trapped in the rubble.
📸 Garden Route District Municipality
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Rescuers are working against time to free the workers trapped under the rubble. Provincial MEC for Local Government, Anton Bredell has arrived on the scene. He's gone into a briefing with officials and is expected to address the media after.
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Western Cape Head of Disaster, Colin Deiner says they've established contact with trapped workers under the rubble. Some were detected by sniffer dogs. A search and rescue protocol will be implemented for the next 2days.
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Western Cape Local Government MEC, Anton Bredell can be seen assuring family members that they're doing their best to rescue their loved ones. Concerned families are being housed in the George Town hall where they're receiving counseling.
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Two sniffer dogs, which assisted in detecting the trapped workers, are currently on site. 3 more from Gift of the Givers are enroute from Cape Town. A truck with specialised rescue equipment has arrived from Worcester.
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Garden Route District Municipality has shared these pictures as the search and rescue protocol enters another day.
Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde is expected to visit the site in the morning.
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The death toll in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse has risen to 4. 20 people have been rescued and hospitalised across the province. 51 workers are still trapped under the rubble. Premier, Alan Winde expected to visit the site today.
📸 Garden Route District Municipality
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Media is allowed closer to the site with strict instructions not to film any persons being pulled out.
Occasionally, there is a call for silence where machinery is switched off and everyone remains silent to communicate with trapped victims
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.
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Chairperson of the DA Federal Council, Helen Zille has arrived at the site of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. Earlier, I also spotted Premier, Alan Winde. Both went in the direction of the town hall where families are being kept.
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Sniffer dogs from Gift of the Givers have arrived to assist in locating the trapped workers.
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Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde says an investigation into the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse is underway. This happens parrel to the rescue work taking place to free those trapped under the rubble.
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George Mayor, Leon van Wyk says the name of the company that was building the structure cannot be disclosed as it forms part of a police investigation.
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Local Government MEC, Anton Bredell says different contractors such as painters, plumbers etc were on site when the building collapsed.
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We understand that Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters, is making her way to the site of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. She was handing over equipment to small businesses in Thembalethu today.
📸 Garden Route District Municipality
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It's nearly 24hrs since the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse and anxiety is developing among family members waiting to hear news about their loved ones. Bright Kayuni alleges that authorities are provided them with insufficient information so far.
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A group of personnel from the Department of Labour is being refused entry into the site. The officials say even yesterday they were denied entry. This contradicts the premier's statement that Labour officials are part of the investigation.
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BREAKING: George Municipality mayor, Leon van Wyk has disclosed the name of the developer constructing the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse.
Developer - NT NeoTrend Group.
Development- ICE Projects.
Plans submitted in December 2022.
Plans approved in July 2023.
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As the second night falls, it appears that more bodies are being retrieved from the rubble. Stretchers are being brought in as crews from different parts of the site clap in celebration.
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A generous George resident has just dropped off boxes of pizza for media personnel on-site.
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The death in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse has risen to 7 this evening. So far, 33 people have been pulled from the rubble, including the deceased. 42 people are still trapped beneath.
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A 34th person has been pulled from the rubble. The death toll stands at 7, while 41 is still trapped under the collapsed building.
Over 200 emergency personnel on-site.
📸 Garden Route District Municipality
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Nearly half of the trapped 75 workers have been extracted. The total number stands at 36, amongst them 7 deaths, while 39 remain unaccounted for.
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A deformed construction hat lies in front of the George Town hall with the words "fought for 15 hours" written on it. It has a name of Timoti Bantu.
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Near the site, a refreshment station has been set up since the disaster struck. This is where various local organisations and volunteers assist everyone involved in the operations with food, snacks and drinks.
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Earlier rescuers brought in demolishing equipment as they try to remove concrete slabs. The search and rescue operation is still in place and may be changed to search and recover tomorrow afternoon once the 72hrs has passed since the disaster.
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The rescue work has reached a stage where hopes of finding people alive are diminishing. A deceased worker early this evening was the only person retrieved from the rubble today.
Out of 75 workers:
37 retrieved.
8 deceased.
38 unaccounted for.
#GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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JUST IN: The total number of workers on site when the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse happened has been revised from 75 to 81.
Number breakdown:
Total retrieved: 37
Deceased: 8
Unaccounted for: 44
Only one person (deceased) retrieved yesterday, and no retrievals overnight.
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WC Disaster Management Head, Colin Deiner says around 2pm this afternoon, a call will be made regarding moving from a search and rescue mode to search and recover. A search and recover mode means there is no hope for survivors.
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Officials have moved the media slightly to the left-hand side, saying more heavy-duty equipment is being brought in to demolish the building.
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The death toll in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse has risen to 9 after a critical patient in hospital died. This lowers the number of survivors that have been retrieved to 28. There are 44 people who are still accounted for. The last person to be retrieved was Wed evening.
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On Thur, the total number of those involved in the tragedy was revised from 75 to 81. Labour and Employement Minister, Thulas Nxesi said the numbers can't be confirmed because the owner of the building has been evading officials, and they've issued a subpoena.
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Nxesi also addressed concerned residents near the site, saying government is investigating the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. He's appealed to everyone to unite in support of the victims and their families, putting aside issues of nationalities.
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Owenzela Ralarala has been waiting since Monday to hear news about her boyfriend, Vuyo Klaas, who was working in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. She's frustrated about the lack of adequate information they're getting from officials.
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Gugulethu Khonono is also waiting for news about his cousin (uncle's daughter), Siphesihle Mehlo (21). She is a student at a technical college and was doing her practicals with an electrician company that was busy with installations in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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Delegations from various SADC Consulates continue to arrive in George to provide assistance to their citizens. These include: Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Death toll - 12
Total retrieved - 40
Unaccounted for - 41
#GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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UPDATE: Two more bodies have been retrieved from the rubble, bringing the death to 14. The number of people trapped stands at 39.
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As rain clouds gather over George this evening, Local Government MEC Anton Bredell says they've got resources such as water pumps in place. He adds that last night, they pumped oxygen into the slabs "just to help if there's any chance of life"
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UPDATE: The death toll in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse has been revised from 14 to 13. Yesterday evening, Local Government MEC Anton Bredell reported 2 more bodies that were retrieved. However, Disaster Management says there's a double verification process to follow.
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BREAKING: Rescue workers have found a survivor under the rubble of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. The man is a tiler who was presumably working on the 3rd floor of the building. WC Head of Disaster, Colin Deiner says it will take time to retrieve him.
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This is the group of emergency personnel that retrieved a survivor from the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse rubble today. The team, consisting of rescue technicians and firefighters, share the moment they made contact with the trapped worker.
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Garden Route Disaster Management Head, Gerhard Otto has lauded the team and all personnel on-site for their teamwork.
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JUST IN: Gabriel Gumba (32), the man who was pulled out of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse rubble after 118hours says he is "okay".
George Municipality has just shared a video of him lying in a hospital bed.
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Today marks a week since the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. The death toll stands at 24, while 28 people are still unaccounted for. It is estimated that 81 people were inside the building when it collapsed, with 53 retrieved, including the deceased. 13 people are hospitalised
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The Ethiopian community in George arrived with a donation of refreshments for the families of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse victims. #sabcnews
South Africans have been urged to observe a minute of silence at 14:09 this afternoon - marking exactly a week since the tragedy of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse.
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"This act of solidarity is a poignant gesture to honor those who perished and to extend our heartfelt support to the families affected by this tragedy", reads a statement from the Garden Route District Municipality's Joint Operations Centre
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The death toll has risen to 26. Out of 81 people (unconfirmed number), 55 people have been retrieved, including the deceased. 26 people are unaccounted for while 13 are in hospital.
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The scene has gone silent at this moment. Firefighters have pulled black plastics to cover the scene. Police detectives have also moved closer to the spot.
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The demolition equipment has now moved slightly out of the scene as the clearing of rubble continues. The spot remains covered with a black plastic.
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The demolition has stopped again on the spot that would've been the front entrance of the building. A number of officials have gone inside the spot.
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Earlier, Ass.Director for Forensic Services Floyd Herwels said only one body has been positively identified & ready to be released to its family. The difficulty in obtaining accurate names & documentation is delaying the identification process.
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A minute of silence was observed at 14:09 to mark a week since the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. A few moments before the silent minute, a body was retrieved from the site.
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UPDATE: 27 people have been confirmed dead, with 25 still unaccounted for, while 13 are hospitalised.
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Public Works Minister, Sihle Zikalala is addressing the families of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse victims. He says a forensic investigation must be instituted to ensure the owners of the building answer for this tragedy.
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The body of Siphesihle Mehlo (21) is amongst those that were retrieved from the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse rubble today. This has been confirmed by her uncle, Gugulethu Khonono who says the family completed the identification process this afternoon.
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Mehlo, an electricical engineering student, was doing her practicals at a local electrical company that was subcontracted to do installations on the building.
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The death toll in the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse stands at 32, with 20 people unaccounted for. Only 6 bodies have been positively identified by their families so far. 5 of the identified are South Africans, while one is a Lesotho national.
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Authorities say they've reached the first floor of the building and will focus their rescue work on open spaces on the floor.
Currently, there's a shift change on the scene as the rescue work enters its 8th day.
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A delegation from SALGA (South African Local Government Association) visited the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse site today. Chairperson for SALGA's Disaster Management committee, Mluleki Nkosi says they're here to access the needs of local and district municipality.
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Pastor Tapson Blawudy has been here since the morning providing counseling and interpretation services for Zimbabwean families.
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Freddy Mafa says Zimbabwean nationals around the Garden Route have raised R18K as a contribution to the repatriation of their fellow compatriots.
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The Mehlo family has started with preparations for the burial of Siphesihle Mehlo - one of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse victims. Her uncle Gugulethu Khonono explains how her father, a municipal employee, never slept for the first 2 nights assisting in the rescue work.
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Khonono says they hoped that Siphesihle would be among those rescued alive, and her father claimed that she heard her voice on-site. Hope started to diminish on Thursday evening, and she was retrieved and identified over the weekend.
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Khonono says as the family they're disappointed that the construction company has not made any contact with the affected families regarding the tragedy. Only the subcontractor Siphesihle was working for spoke to them.
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Total recovered: 62
Death toll: 33 (27 males, 6 females)
Hospitalised: 12
Unaccounted for: 19
Identified victims: 18 (14 m, 4 f)
Nationality breakdown
South Africa: 7
Zimbambwe: 3
Lesotho: 1
Malawi: 5
Mozambique: 2
#GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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The Family of Andile Magxwalisa (59) arrived on the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse site with his body to collect his spirit. The African custom is performed when someone dies in a tragic incident for their spirit not to linger around the scene. He'll be buried in Xesi, EC.
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The owner of Liatel Developments, Theuns Kruger - the building contractor of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse - has issued a statement saying it is cooperating with authorities and that questions surrounding matter "will be answered in the days, weeks and months to follow."
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Since Tuesday, there's been no change in official reported numbers regarding #GeorgeBuildingCollapse.
Total recovered: 62
Deaths: 33
Hospitalised: 12
Unaccounted: 19
This supplied image shows how, by Wednesday, rescue workers had reached the basement of the building.
#sabcnews
While it's unclear why the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse official numbers have remained unchanged for over 24hours, those who survived the tragedy are on their way to recovery. One of them is Delvin Safers, an electrician, who was trapped under the rubble for 28hours.
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JUST IN: Western Cape Disaster Management, Colin Deiner says a vehicle has been found in the basement area of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. Sniffer dogs are also detecting what may possibly be trapped workers.
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The site of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse is expected to be handed over to police on Friday. Rescue officials say a wall will also be erected to prevent any members of the public from entering the site.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse site today. Western Cape Local Government MEC, Anton Bredell hopes the President will announce measures to fastrack the investigation of this tragedy.
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Last week, I photographed a disfigured construction hat placed near the entrance of George Municipal Hall with the words "fought for 15hours" written on it. Timoti Banda, whom the hat belonged, is amongst those rescued alive under the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse rubble
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Banda is currently recovering at home. He wants to be compensated by the owners of the construction company and also for his medical bills to be covered.
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National Union of Mineworkers Chairperson for Health and Safety, Masibulele Naki, says according to their findings, there was a number of flouted regulations during the construction of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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AVBOB to conduct free funerals for all victims that will be buried in George. Families will pay transportation costs if the funeral is in another province. Gert Niehaus says they'll cover coffin and embalming for those that will be repartriated #GeorgeBuildingCollapse
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#GeorgeBuildingCollapse site expected to be handed over to Labour & SAPS officials today. Demolition teams are finalising the clearing of the rubble. There's no indication that anyone may still be trapped. Unconfirmed number of workers onsite was 81, 19 unaccounted
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JUST IN: Officials have revised the number of people that were trapped inside the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse from 81 to 62.
Confirmed statistics
Rescued and recovered: 62
Deceased: 33
Deceased still to be formally identified: 4
Alive (and/or hospitalised): 29
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At least 5 people believed to have been part of the 19 workers unaccounted for were spotted at other construction sites. W/Cape Local Gov MEC, Anton Bredell says some workers were known by nicknames. The site has officially been handed to SAPS
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