Six people die in George building collapse, 48 trapped under rubble

• Published date: 07 May 2024
• Publication title: Mail & Guardian: Web Edition Articles (Johannesburg, South Africa)

The George municipality confirmed on Tuesday that 27 people had been removed from the rubble at 75 Victoria Street, leaving 48 people unaccounted for after the multi-storey building collapsed on Monday

"The international standard is three days for a rescue operation; we are still identifying where people are trapped but we have been in communication with 11 people [under the rubble] and we will start a process of layering [to find them]," said Colin Deiner, the chief director for Western Cape provincial disaster services.

Although no information has been released about the construction company, most of the people trapped under the rubble are construction workers.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said an investigation into the cause of the collapse was under way and George mayor Leon van Wyk said the site had been declared a criminal site, with the department of labour and the police on site to begin their investigations.

48 people were trapped under the rubble as a building collapsed in Geroge. (Herman Pieters, Garden Route District Municipality)

Winde added that...