Collapsed building’s contractor ‘will ensure thorough investigation’

Liatel Developments, the contractors of the Neo Victoria multi-storey apartment block that collapsed in George, says it’s committed to co-operating with authorities to determine the cause of the tragedy, which has so far claimed six lives.

Twenty-eight people have been removed from the rubble in Victoria Street, with 47 people still unaccounted for.

Seventy-five construction workers were on the site at the time of the collapse, which occurred at 14:09 yesterday.

Theuns Kruger, the director of Liatel Developments, says the company’s priority is to assist with ongoing rescue efforts in any way possible.

“We are co-ordinating closely with emergency responders and authorities to provide support and resources for the rescue operations. We are fully committed to co-operating with the authorities to determine the cause of this incident. We will ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted to understand what led to the collapse,” he says.

Kruger says the company is ‘extremely grateful’ for emergency services’ prompt response and the ‘bravery of those involved in the rescue efforts’.

“We will continue to offer our assistance and support to the community in this difficult time.

“We at Liatel are deeply saddened by the events that have unfolded in George. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragedy, and we extend our sincerest sympathy to the victims and their families.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic event,” says Kruger.

Focus on rescue

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde at the latest media briefing this afternoon assured that emergency services are doing everything in their power to find and free the people still trapped under the rubble of the imploded Neo Victoria apartment building.

Local Government and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said their focus is to get the remaining 47 people out as quickly and as safely as possible. More than 200 people are working on the site at the moment.

Developer named

George Mayor Leon van Wyk made known the name of the developer, that is Neo Trend Group Ice Projects. They submitted plans on December 22, 2022, which were approved on July 6, 2023.

The development stands on an erf of 1 228m² and consists of a basement parking and four floors containing a total of 42 flats.

“The footprint on the site is 887m², so in effect the gross lettable area is just under 3 600m², that is standing above the parking on stilts,” said Van Wyk.

At an earlier press briefing, Winde said no stone would be left unturned to determine the cause of the collapse.

This afternoon, he said that the province has appointed an independent structural engineer through V3 Engineers who has started investigating the cause of the collapse and who has been on-site alongside the emergency personnel.

The structural engineer, Casper Hutten, could not say how long the investigation will take. A previous investigation into a similar disaster took 10 years to complete, however, that is not to say that it will be the case in this instance, he said.

“We’ve been on site. We’ve taken a lot of photographs. It is mainly a disaster from a structural point of view. It’s much too early for us to make any comments as to what happened. We will endeavour to work as hard and quickly as possible to get to an answer.”

Referring to incorrect information and political statements being made on social media, Winde said it’s not a time to play politics. “We have 47 citizens trapped underneath the rubble. We have citizens waiting in the adjacent city hall for news about their loved ones. We have to make sure that everybody refrains from spreading any fake news.”