Death toll in George building collapsed climbs to 24

The death toll from the George building collapse has, as of Monday morning, climbed to 24, with twenty-eight construction workers still unaccounted for. Thirteen people are receiving treatment at hospital.

Monday marked a week since the collapse of the partially built structure in the Southern Cape. The multi-story construction site collapsed in Victoria Street, prompting a large scale emergency response. The cause is yet to be determined. Eighty-one people were present at the time of the incident.

PHOTO - Facebook: George Municipality

Officials at the Garden Route District Joint Operations Centre say the focus continues to be on rescue efforts.

‘’With this in mind, we are also proactively setting up plans to expedite the identification of the deceased. This is done by Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) and South African Police Service (SAPS). We, therefore, endeavour to fast-track the process to help bring closure to families,’’ said the George municipality, in a statement.

‘’We are experiencing difficulties in obtaining accurate names of individuals missing or deceased due to the building collapse. We urgently request families who have lost contact with their loved ones to come to the George Civic Centre on York Street. This will enable the Department of Social Development to collect detailed and precise information, ensuring that all records are accurately documented,’’ it added.

The municipality added that there is still an urgent call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona to assist survivors and their families.

The South African Human Rights Commission and Public Works & Infrastructure Minister, Sihle Zikalala is expected to visit George on Monday, to hold talks with the municipality, and inspect the site of the collapsed building.

 

Done By: Mitchum George