South Africa: Dozens Traped in Building Collapse

About five people have died and at least 50 trapped, as rescuers in South Africa search for survivors after a five-storey apartment block under construction collapsed.

City officials in George, located in the Western Cape province, have reported that 26 individuals have been rescued from the collapsed building and transported to the hospital. 

However, numerous additional workers were present at the site during the incident. The cause of the collapse is currently being investigated. Nearby video footage captured a substantial cloud of dust accompanying the building's collapse. 

At the scene on Tuesday morning, emergency personnel were diligently clearing debris by hand in a methodical manner. Periodically, the team leader signaled for silence, prompting everyone to pause in anticipation of potential rescues. 

Unfortunately, many of these instances turned out to be false alarms, prolonging the process of bringing survivors to safety. The majority of workers remain unaccounted for, contributing to the challenging and slow-paced rescue effort.

Two of those pulled from the wreckage died of their injuries. Another three deaths were reported later by medics.

The site has been cordoned off from the public. But there were still many people standing around the perimeter in shock and disbelief.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his thoughts were with the families of people who died in the incident and called for the investigation to "bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster".

The city's mayor Ald Van Wyk said shared his condolences to the families "and all those affected who continue to wait for word of their loved ones".

Throughout the night, over 100 rescuers, accompanied by sniffer dogs, diligently worked to locate individuals trapped within the collapsed building. Heavy lifting machinery was deployed to aid in the rescue efforts.

Authorities reported successful communication with some of the trapped individuals, estimating that approximately 75 workers were present at the time of the collapse. Current images depict a construction site reduced to rubble, with fragments of the building's roof strewn across the debris.

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