By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Rescue efforts are underway after five people were killed and dozens remained trapped after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in George, Western Cape.
Twenty-four people were rescued from the site and sent to hospitals,while fifty one people remained trapped, the municipality of George, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The building collapsed just after 2 p.m. in the city of George, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town.
George ward councillor Theresa Jeyi said she witnessed the horrific incident.
“I’m traumatised and emotional about what I saw. I was in a meeting with my colleagues at about 2pm.
“We went to stand outside the building and it overlooks the construction site. People were working, and then I saw the first level collapse and people were still confused about what was happening.
“It then caved in. We are all shocked about what happened and we send our condolences to the families of those who died and also send prayers to those who are injured.
“It was one of the greatest tragedies that happened in George.”
George mayor Leon van Wyk said: It appears that there still people who are alive.
“It becomes a very tricky operation when a building collapses and you have various slabs of concrete and they need to be moved very carefully, that they don’t cause further injuries of collapse.”
It is understood, according to an online ad, that the building was to be an apartment block from Neo-Victoria Luxurious Apartments, described as an upmarket property that combines the modern world with simplistic living.
Gift of the Givers’ representative in the Southern Cape Mario Ferreira said, they went in after receiving a call from the municipality for assistance. They asked if we could assist with sniffer dogs, and energy drinks for the rescue workers in the area, and there were about 60 of them.
“Further on, they asked for gloves to remove the rubble which we supplied. We’ve put some soup kitchens in place which we are bringing supplies to. The food will be given to workers, rescue workers and the families who are waiting in the area. We have three sniffer dogs and their handlers from Cape Town.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the family of five people who died in a building collapse.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the President’s thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones as well as those who are trapped in the rubble.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa wishes rescue teams the best as they go about their operations and says investigations into the cause of the accident must bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster,” he said.
George, which has a population of about 160,000, lies on the tourist trail along the nation’s southern coastline.
The town hall is run by the Democratic Alliance (DA), the leading opposition party which also controls the Western Cape province.