Rescue and recovery efforts have reached day eight following the collapse of a building at 75 Victoria Street in George.

Rescue workers and other roleplayers have been on site of the collapsed building for 193 hours.

Confirmed statistics:

• Total estimated individuals on-site when the incident occurred: 81
• Rescued and recovered: 62
• Deceased: 33 (27 males, six females)
• Currently hospitalised: 12
• Unaccounted for: 19

Ministerial and other visits

It has been confirmed that the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, will be visiting the area on Thursday.

@thegeorgeherald Work has started as we enter week 2 on site at 75 Victoria Street. Update: Death toll at 32 – Rescue efforts continue to be the primary focus at the collapsed George building site, with teams being on-site for over 187 hours. Since the first call for support by Psychosocial Support Practitioners was put out on 11 May, adequate numbers of fluent practitioners in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages are all on-site to address the emotional, social, and overall mental health needs of those affected by the building collapse. Video: Jeff Ayliffe #georgebuildingcollapse #gardenroute #VictoriaStreetCollapse #georgewesterncape ♬ original sound – George Herald

Primary focus

Rescue efforts continue to be the primary focus, and 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. Read more here.

Company denies involvement with development of building

Ice Projects has clarified its position in the development of the Neo Victoria building, saying it sold its shares because the project wouldn’t yield sufficient return on investment.

Read this update here.