Lives Lost as Durban Building Collapse Death Toll Increases
- Four people have died after a four-storey building collapsed in Redcliffe, north of Durban, and authorities fear more people may still be trapped
- Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson expressed his condolences and promised support while rescue operations continue
- Authorities have said that investigations into the cause will start only after the rescue operations are complete
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Facebook
The death toll from the collapse of a four-storey building in Redcliffe, north of Durban, has reached four, with more possible victims still unaccounted for. Three of the bodies were recovered from the rubble on Saturday afternoon, 13 December 2025.
More bodies found at New Ahobilam Temple of Protection building
The building at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Redcliffe collapsed on Friday afternoon, 12 December, triggering ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson offered his condolences to the families and pledged full support to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Disaster Management teams during the operations.
Macpherson described the incident as deeply distressing and said his thoughts are with the families of the deceased, the injured, and all those affected by the tragedy. The minister visited the site on Saturday afternoon, 13 December, to review the situation and get updates from emergency teams. Macpherson said the department’s priority is continuing rescue and recovery efforts and supporting the families affected. Macpherson stated it would be premature to speculate about the cause of the collapse while rescue operations continue. He added that a full investigation and accountability will follow once all facts are known.
Source: Twitter
Victims managed to send voice notes
Prem Balram of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said that, while not yet confirmed, it is believed that concrete was being poured into the structure at the time of the collapse. Balram told eNCA’s Dasen Thathiah that rescue efforts were complicated by the temple’s location on a steep slope beside a dirt road on the edge of a cliff. Emergency teams had to park at the bottom and climb up to reach the site. Thathiah reported that locals said the collapsed structure, built next to the temple, was intended to be living quarters.
Six people were believed to be trapped under the rubble, while eight others were treated for injuries. Some vehicles were also caught under the collapsed structure. At least three of those trapped managed to send voice notes and photos to family members, who alerted authorities. Balram said this information helped rescuers locate the trapped individuals, though the space is very confined. Six others nearby were rescued with minor injuries and taken to the hospital for further treatment.
2 Killed in building collapse in Phoenix
Briefly News also reported that a structure in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, collapsed, and it caused the deaths of two people.
The men were trapped under the rubble of a property that was still under construction and were trapped for hours.
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Source: Briefly News
