George Building Collapse: Death Toll Reaches 16 As Another Body Recovered, Search for 36 Continues
- The death toll from the George building collapse has now reached 16, with the recovery of another body on Sunday
- The Garden Route District Municipality confirmed the recovery of two bodies, while 36 individuals remain unaccounted for
- Police Minister Bheki Cele will visit the site on Sunday to assess the damage and meet with rescue teams
Trisha Pillay is a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg. For 13 years, she has devoted her professional life to covering social issues and community news, sharing her expertise with newsrooms like The Citizen newspaper, African News Network, and Newzroom Afrika. Do you have a hard news story you would like to share? Email trisha.pillay@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.
Source: Twitter
GEORGE - The death toll of the George building collapse has risen to 16 after another body was recovered in the early hours of Sunday.
Death toll reaches 16
According to News24, the Garden Route District Municipality said two bodies have been recovered on Sunday. The municipality said 36 people remained unaccounted for.
Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to visit the site on Sunday. Rescue teams are still searching for 67 workers. It comes after rescuers celebrated the rescue of 32-year-old Gabriel Gumba. He spent 118 hours trapped under the rubble.
Rescuers say the collaborative search operation will continue until all workers are accounted for.
What we need to know about George building collapse
- The apartment building on Victoria Street in George collapsed on Monday while still under construction, leading to at least thirteen people dead.
- Eighty-one workers were on the site at the time of the collapse, and thirty-six workers are still unaccounted for
- During the incident, cleaners, painters, and construction workers were on-site.
- Search and rescue teams have not yet written the George operation off as they look for the remaining workers.
Mzansi send love
Search and rescue operations continue as many look for the remaining workers. People across the country have sent their love.
Here are some of the reactions:
@Matured democracy said:
"It is a bribery that has killed so many lives."
@Mkhokeli Gcinumkhonto commented:
"This collapsed building had serious structural defects from the beginning, and I can point fingers at the owner who bribed the inspectors to turn a blind eye to the structural defects."
@Aquarius Summer expressed:
"I think this tragedy wasn't meant for professionals for help."
@Aria Jula explained:
"It will keep rising until everyone is accounted for."
@Brad Mulder said:
"RIP Condolences to the Families."
George building collapse survivor Gabriel Gumba expresses gratitude.
In a related story, Briefly News reported about Gabriel Gumba, who says he is fine after he was rescued from the debris of a collapsed building in George after being trapped for 118 hours.
The George Municipality shared a video of the 33-year-old lying in the hospital bed.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said Saturday's rescue was the miracle they had hoped for.
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Source: Briefly News
