President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow visit the George disaster site after the fatal collapse of a partially built residential building at 75 Victoria Street.

Since the fatal incident last Monday, government and its disaster management agencies at all levels have mobilised personnel and resources towards the rescue efforts, and have provided support to the survivors and families of the deceased.

Ramaphosa remains deeply attentive to the rescue and recovery efforts underway and has expressed his deep condolences to the family and friends of the deceased workers.

Ahead of Ramaphosa’s visit, ministers and deputy ministers in the departments of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Employment and Labour, Health, Police, International Relations and Co-operation, and Public Works and Infrastructure have visited the site and have been working collaboratively with the Disaster Joint Operations Centre, the Western Cape government and the Garden Route District Municipality.

The visit of the president to the disaster site:

Visit to the Garden Route Disaster Joint Operations Centre at 10:30, followed by a visit to the disaster site and meeting with families from 12:00.

George Herald reports rescue workers and other role-players have been on site of the collapsed building for more than 211 hours.

Latest confirmed statistics for the incident:

• Total estimated individuals on-site when the incident occurred: 81
• Rescued and recovered: 62
• Of which deceased: 33 (27 males, six females)
• Currently hospitalised: 12
• Unaccounted for: 19
• Families linked to survivors and deceased: 47 victims have been linked to their families.

Strict verification in place

The Garden Route District Joint Operations Centre’s adherence to a stringent double verification protocol is crucial for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of reported numbers of the deceased, which is essential in emergency and disaster response scenarios.

No more food donations needed

George Municipality confirms that the donations of fresh food received for the affected families who remain in the George Civic Centre are adequate.

Post-incident support

The Western Cape Department of Social Development has indicated that a comprehensive range of services will continue to be made available to the affected families for a minimum of six months.