George collapse: 44 still trapped as hope fades

Rescuers work to rescue construction workers trapped under a building that collapsed in George. Source: Reuters/Esa Alexander

Of 81 people who were on site when the five-story building collapsed on Monday, eight have been confirmed dead and 29 alive, 16 of them in a critical condition, according to the latest figures from George municipality.

The identities of the missing have not been made public, but a list of names was circulating among groups of relatives who have congregated at the site since Monday, desperate for news of their loved ones, state broadcaster SABC reported.

An earth mover could be seen removing broken slabs of concrete from the collapsed building, now a chaotic pile of masonry and twisted steel reinforcements. Sniffer dogs had been brought in to search the site.

Community spirit

The drama has prompted an outpouring of solidarity in George, with local companies providing equipment and volunteers setting up coffee stalls for waiting relatives and rescue workers.

Rescue teams had been hearing trapped survivors, a disaster management official said on Tuesday, but there have been no further updates about that since then.

The causes of the collapse have yet to be established. President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an investigation.

Latest update from George municipality: Big earth-moving machinery is expected to arrive this evening to assist in the rescue and clearing efforts. The machinery includes two five (5) ton excavators, three (3) 20-ton excavators with hammers and buckets, and a three (3) cube front-end loader, as well as trucks for extraction and clearing.

The rescue operation continues to be a multi-agency approach, involving local excavation contractors and the District Roads Engineer.

Despite the introduction of large machinery, rescue techniques will still be applied meticulously and sensitively by the highly skilled and experienced disaster management team.

Executive mayor alderman Leon van Wyk expressed his appreciation for the exemplary work done by the multi-disciplinary emergency teams so far.

He commended rescue workers and all involved stakeholders, organisations, the media, and the public stating that their efforts, along with the state-of-the-art equipment brought in, have resulted in a world-class rescue effort.

Total estimated number on-site at the time of incident: 81
Patients retrieved: 37
Patients blue: 8 (deceased)
Patients red status on recovery from site: 16 (critical)
Patients yellow status on recovery from site: 6 (life-threatening injuries)
Patients green status on recovery from site: 7 (minor injuries)
Unaccounted: 44