Rescue efforts continue to be the primary focus at the collapsed George building site, with teams being on-site for over 184 hours.

According to George Municipality, plans are being put in place to expedite the identification of the deceased to bring closure to families. This is done by Forensic Pathology Service and SAPS.

Fingerprints, DNA testing and photographs of unique markings, such as tattoos and clothing, are some of the methods being used to identify the deceased.

To date, six of the deceased have been positively identified.

At the time of publishing, confirmed statistics are:

• Total estimated individuals on-site when the incident occurred: 81
• Rescued and recovered: 61, of which 32 are deceased
• Currently hospitalised: 12
• Unaccounted for: 20

Psychosocial support

There is still an urgent call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese and Shona to assist survivors and their families. If you can assist, contact Kholiswa Jobela at 078 210 5972 or Apolus Swart at 061 504 4205.

Ministerial and other visits

The South African Local Government Association provincial and national teams will visit the site today, while the National Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, will visit the site on Thursday.

Special requests from family

A family member has requested that a cultural prayer be held at the site. This will take place tomorrow at 07:15.

Words of thanks

Garden Route District Municipality’s manager of disaster management, Gerhard Otto, has expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the brave rescue workers who have tirelessly committed to their duties the past week and continue to do so.

Watch: MMC for Community Safety Marais Kruger gives an overview of the past week.