Five structural collapses in Joburg

As emergency services work to determine the extent of the damage to Phumulani Mall caused by the tornado that swept through Tembisa today, here are five other times structures have collapsed in Joburg in the past two years.

1. The M1 bridge collapsed on October 14, last year, near the Grayston off-ramp in Sandton, killing two people and injuring 19 as the temporary structure collapsed on to vehicles travelling on the busy highway. A commission of inquiry by department of labour into what caused the collapse is still under way.

2. A portion of the roof of the East Rand Mall in Boksburg collapsed on August 4 last year. No injuries were reported. The mall was in the process of undergoing extensive redevelopment plans when the incident took place.

3. There were two incidents of structural collapses at Sandton City last year. In the first incident, which took place on June 4, a 25-year-old woman was left with a badly cut ankle after part of the ceiling at Sandton City collapsed and debris from the roof fell on her. Then, in August, the ceiling within a common area collapsed during construction work inside an empty store on the upper level.

4. A house at the Meyersdal Eco Estate in Alberton suddenly collapsed in August 2014, killing seven construction workers and injuring others. There were 27 people on the site when it collapsed.

5. A tavern in Midrand, Ipitombi, collapsed on June 23, 2014, injuring two men. Investigations found that the collapse must have been as a result of a gas explosion. A body was later found among the debris.

– Caxton News Service