Ballito Construction Site Tragedy: 3 Dead, 2 Missing in KwaZulu-Natal Sand Bank Collapse

• Three people have died and two others are still missing at a construction site in Ballito KwaZulu-Natal
• Rescue workers are at the scene searching for the remaining victims, but the area is too unsafe to continue the search
• The collapse occurred on Saturday, 18 May 2024, burying the workers under tons of soil at the construction site

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.

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DURBAN - Three people have been killed and two missing in a collapse at the Ballito construction site in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ballito construction tragedy

According to News24, three construction workers were killed and two others are missing and presumed dead after an embankment collapsed at a construction site in Ballito on Saturday.

IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Sam Meyrick said the bodies of the three men were recovered from under tons of soil.

She added that two other workers were still missing. Meyrick said that while rescue personnel were digging through the landslide, a small secondary collapse occurred, halting rescue operations.

Meyrick added:

"The scene is unsafe, so the rescue operations have been called off to allow safety systems to be put in place to protect rescuers," she said.

Mzansi concerned

This is the second construction site to collapse in the country in weeks. People are concerned for the safety of construction workers.

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Here are some of the reactions:

@Mo Maharaj said:

"This is so sad."

@Nelda Saligram shared:

"So heartbreaking."

@Saligramc commented:

"Condolences to the bereaved families."

@Gustav Otto asked:

"Where are the engineers who must test the ground before someone can build on that site?"

@Esmeralda Searle said:

"Symbolic. SA sinking right down to its foundations."

@Fran Figueira commented:

"You can't take shortcuts in construction."

George building collapse: Family performs spirit-fetching ritual

In a related story, Briefly News reported about the family of one of the victims who died in the George building collapse tragedy buried their loved one.

Andile Magxqalisa was one of the first victims identified after the building collapsed in George. His family performed the ritual of fetching his spirit before they buried him, as is customary for many in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News