Three bodies belonging to municipal contract workers were recovered this morning in Capital Park, Pretoria after a lengthy search and rescue operation was carried out since yesterday afternoon. The victims were buried when soil collapsed on them at an excavation site.

The victims are believed to be aged between 20 and 35 years.

The workers were employees of a Tshwane metro contractor and were busy repairing a sewage line in the suburb when the incident happened.

The trench that collapsed is estimated to be six metres deep and four metres wide, according to emergency officials on the scene.

The bodies were recovered just after 06:00 by the Tshwane Emergency Services Fire and Rescue, the Gauteng Emergency Medical Service and colleagues of the victims on site.

Tshwane Emergency Services Department spokesperson Thabo Charles Mabaso says the teams began the search and rescue operation yesterday afternoon and it continued until this morning.

Mabaso says the rescue technicians used two back-acter machines to create a stable slope for safe access for the technicians to retrieve the bodies.

“The incident occurred in Myburgh Street, Capital Park at about 15:55 on 11 August,” he says.

“One contract worker was transported to a nearby hospital with moderate to serious injuries, while two escaped with no injuries.”

He says the names of the victims cannot yet be released pending notification of their families by the police, who was also on the scene.

Mabaso says the scene is now under control and was handed over to the police for further investigation.

Mabaso urged contract workers in Tshwane to follow safe working standards and ensure that ground surfaces are stable and protected.