The death toll from the collapse at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection construction site in Redcliffe, Verulam, has risen to five.

Four bodies were recovered from the rubble today. A fifth body has been located but had not yet been recovered after search and rescue operations were suspended due to inclement weather.

One of the victims has been identified as Vickey Jairaj Panday (52), an executive member of the temple and manager of the construction project.

The building collapse happened yesterday, just after 12:00, at a site where concrete were being poured.

“The body of a fifth individual has been located; however, recovery efforts were suspended due to adverse weather conditions,” Reaction Unit South Africa spokesperson Prem Balram said.

“At this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether additional individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble,” he added.

Throughout today, families gathered at the site as emergency personnel continued search operations. A police officer on the scene said families were called in to identify the deceased, describing the process as distressing as body bags were opened to confirm identities.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Thulasizwe Buthelezi visited the site and said search and rescue efforts would continue for as long as necessary.

He thanked the various rescue teams for their coordinated efforts and acknowledged the assistance of the Western Cape authorities, who deployed specialised K9 unit dogs to help determine whether more people may be trapped.

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Buthelezi said the incident was tragic, noting that safety requirements apply to all construction sites regardless of whether they are places of worship or other facilities.

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