“An investigation was opened after the body of a man was found in the rubble,” police officer Christopher Spies said in a short statement. “A work team of around 70 people was on the site at the time of the collapse” of this building under construction, shortly after 2 p.m. local time (12 p.m. GMT), said the municipality spokesperson, Chantel Edwards. Of this total, 22 people were hospitalized, she added, without further information on the condition of the others who are still under the rubble.
Mario Ferreira, spokesperson for the NGO Gift of the Givers, present at the scene of the accident, declared that rescuers had “communicated with some people under the rubble”.
The five-story building, including an underground parking lot, collapsed for reasons that are still unclear. Photos of the disaster show a flattened construction site around which numerous emergency services are positioned. The roof of the building remains visible, shaky, above a pile of rubble.
Security perimeter
Strong floodlights illuminate the site, which has been isolated by a security perimeter to protect local residents. An excavator truck was at work in the early evening. According to Mario Ferreira, among those evacuated, some were “seriously injured”. Rescue operations were to continue throughout the night.
Among those evacuated, some were “seriously injured”
An operational post was set up to coordinate the various emergency services who went to the site, coming from several surrounding towns and even from the city of Cape Town, located more than 400 km west of the disaster.
In total, some 80 rescuers were working at the scene of the accident. Digging machines as well as rescue dogs and their handlers also took to the road from Cape Town, several emergency services later learned. Families and loved ones were invited to meet at the town hall, near the collapsed building, where they can be taken care of, the municipality said.
