George Building Collapse: Search and Rescue Mission Concludes, Investigation Begins

• Search and rescue operations at the multi-storey building collapse in George have officially been completed
• The George Municipality confirmed 33 dead of the 62 people retrieved from the rubble over the past 11 days
• The total number of trapped workers was revised down after the contractor noted admin errors and CCTV footage of workers leaving the site

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

After a gruelling 260 hours, search and rescue operations officially wrapped up at the multi-storey building collapse in George, Western Cape.

Officials completed the operation and handed the site over to the SAPS and the Department of Labour and Employment on 17 May 2024 so that a formal probe into the incident could begin.

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George building collapse death toll at 33

Authorities have confirmed that 33 workers have died, 10 were still in hospital, and 19 were discharged. This amounts to the revised 62 people thought to be onsite on the day of the tragedy.

A statement by the George Municipality explained that 75 people were initially thought to be onsite; however, three days later, officials adjusted the number to 81. The municipality said the difference in the numbers was due to duplicated names on the contractor’s list, workers absent on the day of the collapse, and some workers, seen on CCTV footage, leaving the incident site before first responders arrived on 6 May 2024.

President pledges compensation for victims

A day before the official completion of rescue operations, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site. He told the loved ones affected by the disaster that the state would compensate the families and victims.

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Ramaphosa said the government would pay the compensation through the relevant government structures.

Miracle worker survives 118 hours trapped under

Briefly News reported that a man was rescued after being stuck under rubble for more than 118 hours during the collapse of the George building.

The Western Cape government said Gabriel Gumba was found when rescue workers removed a slab from what they believed to be the third floor.

The 32-year-old, who couldn’t move due to the weight on his legs, was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Source: Briefly News