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George building collapse: Six dead, 47 still trapped under rubble [VIDEO]
George's mayor, Leon van Wyk, expressed his condolences to the families of deceased construction workers.
Emergency personnel look for workers buried beneath the rubble. Photo: Alan Winde/X
The death toll from a collapsed building in George has increased to six.
Around 47 construction workers were still trapped under the rubble on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services have so far managed to pull out 28 workers. The rescued have been taken to hospital.
10 of the injured are believed to be in serious condition.
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According to the George Municipality, 75 construction workers were present on the site at the time of the collapse, which occurred at around 2pm on Monday.
Three teams of rescue personnel are currently working on three different areas within the site of the collapsed building.
Watch video from the scene of the collapse:
Speaking to The Citizen‘s sister publication, the George Herald, MMC for community safety Marais Kruger called it one of the most tragic events to ever hit George.
ALSO READ: George building collapse: ‘One of the most tragic events to ever hit the city’
Over 100 emergency personnel on site
The building on Victoria Street, which was under construction at the time, collapsed at around 2 pm on Monday with 75 workers inside.
Multiple Disaster Service personnel, including Saps Search and Rescue teams with sniffer dogs and emergency teams from the City of Cape Town and Breede Valley Local Municipality have joined rescuers on site of the tragedy.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said over 100 emergency and other personnel are on site.
“Families and friends of the construction workers involved in the incident are being given space to gather in the foyer of the main municipal building and will be assisted by the Department of Social Services and Correctional Services Social Workers.”
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Mayor’s condolences
Executive Mayor Leon van Wyk expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of George Council and the municipal administration to the family and colleagues of the deceased.
“Our thoughts are with the families and all those affected who continue to wait on [the] word of their loved ones,“ said Van Wyk.
He also shared the call should any member of the public wish to provide drinking water, lucozade, wine gum, or any food for emergency services while they are on site, they can deliver to the tent site via Ivy Street at 79 Victoria Street, Delplan Consulting, which is being manned by Gift of the Givers and Herman Pienaar of LoveGeorge.
For enquiries to give please contact Gift of the Givers: Mario Ferreira (082 490 2752) and Herman Pienaar (082 829 6428).
Watch a video of the building collapse below:
Municipality closed
The George Municipality issued a notice that its main offices, which are adjacent to the collapsed building, have been closed as a safety precaution.
“For inquiries, please contact the municipality’s after-hours and emergencies line at 044 801 6300. For disaster-related matters, call the toll-free disaster number at 087 152 9999. For fire emergencies, dial 044 801 6311.
“Your cooperation and understanding during this time are greatly appreciated,” the notice read.
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